Title : PLAU promotes tumor cells migration and invasion in oral squamous cell carcinoma
Abstract:
Head and neck cancer derives from the oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, and other upper aerodigestive tracts, in which oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common one. Risk factors involved in OSCC contain smoking and alcohol as well as human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Due to the high incidence of OSCC and the main therapy methods for OSCC patients is surgery. Certain mechanisms and pathways for tumor formation have been identified for targeted drug development, such as EGFR inhibitors. However, the benefit of existing drugs is dissatisfactory. And we are working for new potent therapy targets of OSCC.
Plasminogen activator, urokinase (PLAU), also known as uPA, encodes a secreted serine protease. uPA belongs to the plasminogen activator (PA) system and it serves to convert plasminogen to plasmin which is a broad-spectrum protease. Thus, uPA is involved in the basement membrane and extracellular matrix degradation process which counts for tumor invasion and metastasis. Also, accumulating evidence indicated that the uPA system could participate in cell proliferation/apoptosis and EMT via other signaling pathways, which plays an essential role in tumorigenesis. Increasing PLAU expression was detected in various tumors, which is associated with patient survival, thus the uPA system could be a biomarker and therapeutic target in malignancies. However, the specific underly mechanisms of PLAU in OSCC has not been determined till now.
According to our recent study, PLAU can promote the migration and invasion of OSCC and determines the clinical outcome of HNSCC patients, which implied PLAU can be a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker of HNSCC.
