Schwann Cells Induce Phenotypic Changes in Oral Cancer Cells.

ABSTRACT: Head and neck cancer (HNC) is the seventh most common cancer worldwide, the majority being oral squamous cell carcinoma. Despite advances in cancer diagnosis and treatment, the survival rate of patients with HNC remains stagnant. The cancer-nerve interaction has been recognized as an important driver of cancer progression. Schwann cells, a type of peripheral glia, have been implicated in promoting cancer cell growth, migration, dispersion, and invasion into the nerve in many cancers. Here, it is demonstrated that the presence of Schwann cells makes oral cancer cells more aggressive by promoting their proliferation, extracellular matrix breakdown, and altering cell metabolism. Furthermore, oral cancer cells became larger, more circular, with more projections and nuclei following co-culturin

SUBMITTER: Santi MD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9474679 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature