Expression of hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1 & #945;) in oral squamous cell carcinoma and its correlation with neoangiogenesis and 3-year survival from the disease.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the sixth most common cancer worldwide. OSCC falls into a larger category known as head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs). This collection constitutes all squamous cell carcinomas of the oral cavity, larynx, pharynx and oesophagus of which OSCC is the most common. Cancer cells involve morphological cellular transformation, dysregulation of apoptosis, uncontrolled cellular proliferation, invasion, angiogenesis, and metastasis. Also, one of the hallmarks of cancer is the elevated uptake of glucose even under normal oxygen conditions, known as aerobic glycolysis or the & ldquo;Warburg effect & rdquo;. The Warburg effect is the cellular phenomenon in which the tumor cells primarily use glycolysis for energy production instead of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation like normal cells. These cellular responses have been shown to cause distinct transformations like the upregulation of proteins such as hypoxia-inducible factor 1- & alpha; that help the tumor survive adverse conditions in which normal cells cannot persist. HIF-1 & alpha; stimulates transcriptional induction of a series of genes that participate in iron metabolism, glucose metabolism, cell proliferation / survival and angiogenesis.

Source: Head and Neck Oncology - July 21, 2016 Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: research