Background: The outcome of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is still poor. To improve therapy of HNSCC, biomarkers indicating progression of the disease or modifiers with potential as therapeutic targets and therapy need to be investigated. Since monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP1) is potentially involved in tumorigenesis of HNSCC, we aimed to clarify its role in HNSCC and investigated the influence of stimulation by MCP1 and its depletion using antibodies against MCP1 (anti-MCP1) on colony formation by HNSCC cells.
Materials and methods: Biopsies of HNSCC were treated according to the protocol of the FLAVINO assay with cisplatin, docetaxel, temsirolimus or cilengitide alone, or combined with MCP1 or anti-MCP1. After a 72-h incubation, ethanol-fixed and fluoresceine-isothiocyanate (FITC)-labeled epithelial colonies were counted.
Results: Colony formation was significantly suppressed by MCP1 and 3.3 μM cisplatin, while docetaxel, cilengitide and temsirolimus at concentrations of 0.275, 10 and 0.50 μM caused insignificant effects. Addition of MCP1 to cisplatin, docetaxel and cilengitide increased efficacy of cytostatics in inhibition of colony formation, whereas those with temsirolimus were increased by anti-MCP1 that when applied alone failed to modulate colony formation. Overall regarding facilitated chemosensitivity, there was a statistical trend in favor of MCP1 stimulation over depletion.
Conclusion: Our ex vivo results show context-dependent effects of MCP1 in HNSCC cells. An increase of MCP1 level or its addition to cisplatin, docetaxel and cilengitide reduce colony formation but the efficacy of temsirolimus is augmented by MCP1 depletion. These context-dependently opposite outcomes call for further translational investigations in HNSCC.
Keywords: FLAVINO assay; HNSCC; MCP1; anti-MCP1; ex-vivo chemoresponse.
Copyright© 2015 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved.