Combined EGFR1 and PARP1 Inhibition Enhances the Effect of Radiation in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Models.

ABSTRACT: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a challenging cancer with little change in five-year overall survival rate of 50-60% over the last two decades. Radiation with or without platinum-based drugs remains the standard of care despite limited benefit and high toxicity. HNSCCs often overexpress epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and inhibition of EGFR signaling enhances radiation sensitivity by interfering with repair of radiation-induced DNA breaks. Poly (adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP1) also participates in DNA damage repair, but its inhibition provides benefit in cancers that lack DNA repair by homologous recombination (HR) such as BRCA-mutant breast cancer. HNSCCs in contrast are typically BRCA wild-type and proficient in HR repair, making it challenging

SUBMITTER: Frederick BA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7682633 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature