MAPKAPK2 (MK2) inhibition mediates radiation-induced inflammatory cytokine production and tumor growth in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

ABSTRACT: Radiation therapy (RT) is a cornerstone of treatment in the management of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC), yet treatment failure and disease recurrence are common. The p38/MK2 pathway is activated in response to cellular stressors, including radiation, and promotes tumor inflammation in a variety of cancers. We investigated MK2 pathway activation in HNSCC and the interaction of MK2 and RT in vitro and in vivo. We used a combination of an oropharyngeal SCC tissue microarray, HNSCC cell lines, and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) tumor models to study the effect of RT on MK2 pathway activation and to determine how inhibition of MK2 by pharmacologic (PF-3644022) and genetic (siRNA) methods impacts tumor growth. We show that high phosphorylated MK2 (p-MK2) levels are associated w

SUBMITTER: Berggren KL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6883149 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature