배경/목적: ROS는 악성종양의 성장 및 공격과 관련이 있다. UDCA는 담도암 세포에서 진행과 전이에 밀접한 EGFR-MAPK 신 호 경 로 와 EMT를 억 제 한 다 . 이 연 구 는 UDCA가 담도암세포에서 ROS 생성 및 그에 관련된 바이오마커에 어떠한 영향을 주는지 알아보기 위해 시행되었다. 방 법 : 인간 간외 담관암 세포주인 SNU-245세포를 배양하였다. 세포생존율은 MTT assays로, ROS는 세포 ROS assays kit로 측정하였다. Western blotting으로 다양한 표적 단백질의 발현 수준을 측정하였다. 특정 유전자의 억제를 위해 siRNA를 사용하였고, 특정 유전자의 과발현을 위해 shRNA를 사용하였다. 결과: UDCA는 담도암 세포에서 DCA에 의한 peroxide와 ROS가 생성되는 것을 억제하였으며, DCA로 발현이 증강된 STAT3, PRX2 및 SOD2를 억제하였고, IGF-1에 의해 발현이 증강된 NOX2 및 NOX4를 억제하였다. 또한, 담도암 세포에서 SiRNA를 이용한 STAT3 및 PRX2의 억제는 UDCA 처치와 상관없이 EGF에 의해 약화된 E-cadherin 발현을 복원하고 EGF에 의해 증가된 N-cadherin 발현을 억제하였는데, 이는 UDCA의 EMT 억제에 PRX2/STAT3가 상당한 역할을 하는 것을 의미한다. 덧붙여, UDCA는 담도암 세포에서 DCA에 의해 억제된 catalase의 발현을 복원하였다. 한편, ShRNA를 사용한 NOX4의 과발현의 유도는 UDCA의 항종양 효과를 상쇄하였다. 결론: UDCA는 담도암 세포에서 ROS 생성을 억제하고, ROS 제거를 향상시킴으로써, 결국 EMT와 관련된 STAT3 및 PRX2를 억제한다, 따라서, UDCA는 ROS 활성도 및 EMT의 억제를 통하여 담도암 세포의 성장 및 침습을 억제하는 데 기여한다.

Cudraxanthone D (CD) is a natural xanthone compound derived from the root barks of Cudrania tricuspidata . However, the biological functions of CD in human metabolism have been rarely reported until now. Autophagy is the self-degradation process related to cancer cell metastasis. Here, we elucidated the effects of CD on human oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cells’ metastatic ability. We confirmed that CD effectively decreased the proliferation and viability of SCC25 human OSCC cells in time- and dose-dependent manners. Also, the metastasis phenotype of the SCC25 cell (migration, invasion, and epithelial–mesenchymal transition [EMT]) was inhibited by CD. To further investigate the mechanism by which CD inhibited the metastatic capacity, we detected the relationship between EMT and autophagy in the SCC25 cells. The results revealed that CD inhibited the metastasis of the SCC25 cells by attenuating autophagy. Thus, our findings produced a potential novel agent for the treatment of human OSCC metastasis.

Human melatonin receptors consist of melatonin receptor 1A (MT1) and melatonin receptor 1B (MT2), and possess various biological activations, which include the control of circadian rhythm and immune regulation. Recently, it have been found that melatonin receptors inhibit cell proliferation and have oncostatic properties, which is being researched in the treatment strategies of breast cancer, prostate cancer, and Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Also, interest in the effect of melatonin receptor’s correlation to head and neck carcinogenesis and application possibilities on head and neck cancer has been found. However, in head and neck cancer, how melatonin receptor relates and functions with epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which plays a major role in human carcinogenesis, is yet unknown. In this research, in HSC5 cell and YD15 cell, the head and neck cancer cell lines, a selective melatonin receptor antagonist, Luzindole, was utilized to examine the effect of melatonin receptors on EMT. After treating Luzindole on HSC5 cells and YD15 cells, the authors evaluated cell viability rate with CCK 8 assay, and performing colony forming assay, invasion assay and western blot analysis, to confirm melatonin receptor’s effect on EMT. When Luzindole was treated on HSC5 cells and YD15 cells in low concentration of 100nM, no significant difference in cell viability was found, whereas Luzindole-treated cells had a significantly increase in the invasion assay. As a result of colony forming assay, in YD15 cells, the number of colony formation decreased slightly, whereas in HSC3 cells, the number of colony formation increased. According to the western blotting, no difference in E-cadherin, Slug, and vimentin protein expression was shown. This result of research indicates the possibility of melatonin receptor being related to EMT and new chemotherapeutic target in the carcinogenesis of head and neck cancer.

Hypoxia is one of the most common features of cancer. It is also associated with cancer progression and the acquisition of aggressiveness, which includes invasion and metastasis. Oral squamous cell carcinoma accounts for 90% of all oral cancers, and its 5-year survival rate is about 50%. Despite various attempts and trials, its prognosis has not improved. Among numerous adverse prognostic factors, hypoxia is suspected as one of the most important factors, as it increases the aggressiveness of oral cancer cells. We attempted to observe the effect of hypoxia on the expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition markers in oral cancer cells. We analyzed and compared both the mRNA and protein expression levels of epithelial-mesenchymal markers using qRT-PCR and western blotting in both normoxic and hypoxic YD10B oral squamous cell carcinoma cells. Eighty-six genes were analyzed through real-time PCR using commercial microarray plates, performed in triplicate. Among the 86 genes, the expression of 24 were increased (≥ 2 fold) by hypoxia, while that of three genes was decreased (≥ 2 fold). Hypoxia significantly affects epithelial-mesenchymal transition-related genes. Further studies on the regulation of these genes may help to develop more efficient therapeutic modalities for oral cancer and to improve prognosis of oral cancer patients.

Recently chronic inflammation is focused on the association with cancer progression and acquisition of aggressive biologic behaviors, such as invasion, metastasis, and resistance to chemotherapeutic reagents. Due to the close vicinity within oral cavity, oral cancer may be intimately associated with chronic periodontitis. The present study was done to observe the effect of chronic periodontitis on oral cancer cells by utilizing P. gingivalis infection, a major pathogen in chronic periodontitis. We analyzed and compared the mRNA expression levels of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers in non-infected and P. gingivalis-infected oral cancer cells. Eighty-six genes, which are well known as EMT markers, were analyzed using commercially available EMT microarray plates, performed in triplicate. Among the 86 genes, the expression of 26 was increased (≥ 2 fold) by P. gingivalis, whereas that of 7 genes was decreased (≥ 2 fold). Our study suggests that P. gingivalis infection evokes significant changes in EMT-related genes. Further observations on molecular mechanisms underlying these changes may help to clarify the role of chronic periodontitis on cancer progression and to develop more efficient preventive and therapeutic modalities for oral cancer. (182 words)

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common type of oral malignancy. Numerous therapies have been proposed for its cure. Research is continually being conducted to develop new forms of treatment as current therapies are associated with numerous side-effects. Luteolin, a common dietary flavonoid, has been demonstrated to possess strong anti-cancer activity against various human cancer cell lines. Nevertheless, research into luteolin-based anticancer activity against oral cancer remains scarce. Thus, the objective of this study was to assess the effect of luteolin as an anti-cancer agent. After treatment with luteolin, Ca9-22 and CAL-27 oral cancer cells showed condensed nuclei and enhanced apoptotic rate with evidence of mitochondria-mediated apoptosis. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is closely related to tumor migration and invasion. Luteolin suppressed cancer cell invasion and migration in the current study. Elevated expression of E-cadherin, an adherens junction protein, was evident in both cell lines after luteolin treatment. Luteolin also significantly inhibited transcription factors (i.e., N-cadherin, Slug, Snail, Twist, and ZEB-1) that regulated expression of tumor suppressors such as E-cadherin based on Western blot analysis and quantitative PCR. Thus, luteolin could induce mitochondrial apoptosis and inhibit cancer cell invasion and migration by suppressing EMT-induced transcription factors.

Hertwig's epithelial root sheath (HERS) consists of bilayered cells derived from the inner and outer dental epithelia and plays important roles in tooth root formation as well as in the maintenance and regeneration of periodontal tissues. With regards to the fate of HERS, and although previous reports have suggested that this entails the formation of epithelial rests of Malassez, apoptosis or an epithelialmesenchymal transformation (EMT), it is unclear what changes occur in the epithelial cells in this structure. This study examined whether HERS cells undergo EMT using a keratin-14 (K14) cre:ROSA 26 transgenic reporter mouse. The K14 transgene is expressed by many epithelial tissues, including the oral epithelium and the enamel organ. A distinct K14 expression pattern was found in the continuous HERS bi-layer and the epithelial diaphragm were visualized by detecting the β-galactosidase (lacZ) activity in 1 week postnatal mice. The 2 and 4 week old mice showed a fragmented HERS with cell aggregation along the root surface. However, some of the lacZ-positive dissociated cells along the root surface were not positive for pan-cytokeratin. These results suggest that the K14 transgene is a valuable marker of HERS. In addition, the current data suggest that some of the HERS cells may lose their epithelial properties after fragmentation and subsequently undergo EMT.

Malignant tumor cells outgrow new blood vessel formation and tend to be in hypoxic state. Hypoxic cancer cells adapt to hypoxic conditions by transforming its characteristics. On the other hand, one of the most important features of cancer cells is that carcinoma cells loses its inherent epithelial phenotype and acquires mesenchymal characteristics, called as epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT). It has been already well known that EMT contributes to tumor invasion and metastasis. The present study investigated whether hypoxia play a major role in induction of phenotypic changes of oral squamous cell carcinoma(OSCC). Furthermore, the mechanism of EMT in oral squamous cell carcinoma cells by hypoxia has been clarified. To mimic hypoxic condition, cobalt chloride and desferoxamine, well-known hypoxic mimetic agents, were used. This study shows that hypoxia suppresses the expression of E-cadherin(epithelial marker) and increases vimentin and N-cadherin( mesenchymal markers) in OSCC. In addition, α5 integrin protein, which is a receptor for fibronectin and an important molecule for tumor invasion, is prominently induced by hypoxia.