FAK Drives Resistance to Therapy in HPV-Negative Head and Neck Cancer in a p53-Dependent Manner.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

Radiation and platinum-based chemotherapy form the backbone of therapy in human papillomavirus (HPV)-negative head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). We have correlated focal adhesion kinase (FAK/PTK2) expression with radioresistance and worse outcomes in these patients. However, the importance of FAK in driving radioresistance and its effects on chemoresistance in these patients remains unclear.

Experimental design

We performed an in vivo shRNA screen using targetable libraries to identify novel therapeutic sensitizers for radiation and chemotherapy.

Results

We identified FAK as an excellent target for both radio- and chemosensitization. Because TP53 is mutated in over 80% of HPV-negative HNSCC, we hypothesized that mutant TP53 may facilitate FAK-media

SUBMITTER: Pifer PM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10767302 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature