Calmodulin-Like Protein 5 (CALML5) Expression in Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Esophagus and Oropharynx.

ABSTRACT: Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), a common malignancy affecting the skin, vagina, uterine cervix, anus, larynx, and upper digestive tract, is characterized by significant disruption of cell-cell adhesion in stratified squamous epithelium during tumorigenesis, progression, and metastasis. CALML5, a stratified epithelial-specific protein linked to desmosomal junctions, plays a key role in cell adhesion and is notably downregulated in human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated cervical SCC. Esophageal and pharyngeal cancers, commonly with a squamous cell phenotype, have distinct etiologies: oropharyngeal carcinoma is strongly associated with HPV, whereas esophageal carcinoma is linked to environmental factors such as smoking, alcohol, and diet. To investigate the role of CALML5 in these cancers, we p

SUBMITTER: Taniwaki M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12173638 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature