Targeted therapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma microenvironment

Zhaomeng Guo; Kang Li; Peng Liu; Xiangmin Zhang; Jie Lv; Xianhai Zeng; Peng Zhang

doi:10.3389/fmed.2023.1257898

Targeted therapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma microenvironment

Front Med (Lausanne). 2023 Aug 30:10:1257898. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2023.1257898. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Zhaomeng Guo¹, Kang Li^{1

2}, Peng Liu^{1

2}, Xiangmin Zhang¹, Jie Lv³, Xianhai Zeng¹, Peng Zhang¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Longgang Otorhinolaryngology Hospital and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Otorhinolaryngology, Shenzhen Institute of Otorhinolaryngology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
² Department of Graduate and Scientific Research, Zunyi Medical University Zhuhai Campus, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China.
³ School of Computer Science and Engineering, Yulin Normal University, Yulin, Guangxi, China.

Abstract

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) originates from the squamous epithelium of the oral cavity, oropharynx, larynx, and hypopharynx. HNSCC in the oral cavity and larynx is strongly associated with tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption, while oropharyngeal cancer is increasingly attributed to infection by human papillomavirus (HPV), particularly HPV-16. The tumor microenvironment (TME) is a complex network of cancer cells, immune cells, stromal cells, surrounding blood vessels, and signaling molecules, and plays a critical role in tumor cell survival, invasion, and recurrence. Therefore, it is critical to elucidate the molecular basis of the interaction between tumor cells and the TME in order to develop innovative anti-cancer therapeutic strategies.

Keywords: HNSCC; inflammation; microenvironment; targeted therapy; tumor progression.

Publication types

Review