RTKs in pathobiology of head and neck cancers

Adv Cancer Res. 2020:147:319-373. doi: 10.1016/bs.acr.2020.04.008. Epub 2020 Jun 15.

Abstract

Non-communicable diseases contribute to 71% of the deaths worldwide, of which cancers rank second after cardiovascular diseases. Among all the cancers, head and neck cancers (HNC) are consequential in augmenting the global cancer incidence as well as mortality. Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) are emphatic for the matter that they serve as biomarkers aiding the analysis of tumor progression and metastasis as well as diagnosis, prognosis and therapeutic progression in the patients. The extensive researches on HNC have made significant furtherance in numerous targeted therapies, but for the escalating therapeutic resistance. This review explicates RTKs in HNC, their signaling pathways involved in tumorigenesis, metastasis and stemness induction, the association of non-coding RNAs with RTKs, an overview of RTK based therapy and associated resistance in HNC, as well as a sneak peek into the HPV positive HNC and its therapy. The review extrapolates the cardinal role of RTKs and RTK based therapy as superior to other existing therapeutic interventions for HNC.

Keywords: EGFR; HPV; Head and neck cancer; Oral cancer; Receptor tyrosine kinase; miRNA.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Head and Neck Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Head and Neck Neoplasms / enzymology*
  • Head and Neck Neoplasms / pathology
  • Humans
  • Molecular Targeted Therapy / methods
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / therapeutic use*
  • Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction

Substances

  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors
  • Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases