EGFR-induced suppression of HPV E6/E7 is mediated by microRNA-9-5p silencing of BRD4 protein in HPV-positive head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

ABSTRACT: EGFR upregulation is an established biomarker of treatment resistance and aggressiveness in head and neck cancers (HNSCC). EGFR-targeted therapies have shown benefits for HPV-negative HNSCC; surprisingly, inhibiting EGFR in HPV-associated HNSCC led to inferior therapeutic outcomes suggesting opposing roles for EGFR in the two HNSCC subtypes. The current study aimed to understand the link between EGFR and HPV-infected HNSCC particularly the regulation of HPV oncoproteins E6 and E7. We demonstrate that EGFR overexpression suppresses cellular proliferation and increases radiosensitivity of HPV-positive HNSCC cell lines. EGFR overexpression inhibited protein expression of BRD4, a known cellular transcriptional regulator of HPV E6/E7 expression and DNA damage repair facilitator. Inhibition of E

SUBMITTER: Nantajit D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9636399 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature