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DNA Damage Response Mechanisms in Head and Neck Cancer: Significant Implications for Therapy and Survival. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24032760. [PMID: 36769087 PMCID: PMC9917521 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Head and neck cancer (HNC) is a term collectively used to describe a heterogeneous group of tumors that arise in the oral cavity, larynx, nasopharynx, oropharynx, and hypopharynx, and represents the sixth most common type of malignancy worldwide. Despite advances in multimodality treatment, the disease has a recurrence rate of around 50%, and the prognosis of metastatic patients remains poor. HNCs are characterized by a high degree of genomic instability, which involves a vicious circle of accumulating DNA damage, defective DNA damage repair (DDR), and replication stress. Nonetheless, the damage that is induced on tumor cells by chemo and radiotherapy relies on defective DDR processes for a successful response to treatment, and may play an important role in the development of novel and more effective therapies. This review summarizes the current knowledge on the genes and proteins that appear to be deregulated in DDR pathways, their implication in HNC pathogenesis, and the rationale behind targeting these genes and pathways for the development of new therapies. We give particular emphasis on the therapeutic targets that have shown promising results at the pre-clinical stage and on those that have so far been associated with a therapeutic advantage in the clinical setting.
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Lei H, He A, Jiang Y, Ruan M, Han N. Targeting DNA damage response as a potential therapeutic strategy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Front Oncol 2022; 12:1031944. [PMID: 36338767 PMCID: PMC9634729 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.1031944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Cells experience both endogenous and exogenous DNA damage daily. To maintain genome integrity and suppress tumorigenesis, individuals have evolutionarily acquired a series of repair functions, termed DNA damage response (DDR), to repair DNA damage and ensure the accurate transmission of genetic information. Defects in DNA damage repair pathways may lead to various diseases, including tumors. Accumulating evidence suggests that alterations in DDR-related genes, such as somatic or germline mutations, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), and promoter methylation, are closely related to the occurrence, development, and treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Despite recent advances in surgery combined with radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or immunotherapy, there has been no substantial improvement in the survival rate of patients with HNSCC. Therefore, targeting DNA repair pathways may be a promising treatment for HNSCC. In this review, we summarized the sources of DNA damage and DNA damage repair pathways. Further, the role of DNA damage repair pathways in the development of HNSCC and the application of small molecule inhibitors targeting these pathways in the treatment of HNSCC were focused.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huimin Lei
- School of Stomatology, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Ading He
- School of Stomatology, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Yingying Jiang
- School of Stomatology, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Min Ruan
- School of Stomatology, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
- Department of Oral Maxillofacio-Head and Neck Oncology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, National Center for Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shanghai, China
| | - Nannan Han
- School of Stomatology, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
- Department of Oral Maxillofacio-Head and Neck Oncology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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Combining Phenotypes of Nucleotide Excision Repair Pathway to Predict the Risk of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinomas in a Chinese Population. DISEASE MARKERS 2022; 2022:4959737. [PMID: 36118674 PMCID: PMC9476247 DOI: 10.1155/2022/4959737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 07/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Background Nucleotide excision repair (NER) is pivotal in the development of smoking-related malignancies. Nine core genes (XPA, XPB, XPC, XPD, XPF, XPG, ERCC1, DDB1, and DDB2) are highly involved in the NER process. We combined two phenotypes of NER pathway (NER protein and NER gene mRNA expression) and evaluated their associations with the risks of the head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) in a Chinese population. Methods We conducted a case-control study of 337 HNSCC patients and 285 cancer-free controls by measuring the expression levels of nine core NER proteins and NER gene mRNA in cultured peripheral lymphocytes. Results Compared with the controls, cases had statistically significantly lower protein expression levels of XPA (P < 0.001) and lower mRNA expression levels of XPA and XPB (P = 0.005 and 0.001, respectively). After dividing the subjects by controls' medians of expression levels, we found an association between increased risks of HNSCCs and low XPA protein level (Ptrend = 0.031), as well as low mRNA levels of XPA and XPB (Ptrend = 0.024 and 0.001, respectively). Subsequently, we correlated the two phenotypes and found associations between the NER mRNA and protein levels. Finally, the sensitivity of the expanded model with protein and mRNA expression levels, in addition to demographic variables, on HNSCCs risk was significantly improved. Conclusions Combining two phenotypes of NER pathway may be more effective than the model only including one single phenotype for the assessment of risks of HNSCCs.
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Pasqui A, Boddi A, Campanacci DA, Scoccianti G, Bernini A, Grasso D, Gambale E, Scolari F, Palchetti I, Palomba A, Fancelli S, Caliman E, Antonuzzo L, Pillozzi S. Alteration of the Nucleotide Excision Repair (NER) Pathway in Soft Tissue Sarcoma. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23158360. [PMID: 35955506 PMCID: PMC9369086 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23158360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Revised: 07/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Clinical responses to anticancer therapies in advanced soft tissue sarcoma (STS) are unluckily restricted to a small subgroup of patients. Much of the inter-individual variability in treatment efficacy is as result of polymorphisms in genes encoding proteins involved in drug pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. The nucleotide excision repair (NER) system is the main defense mechanism for repairing DNA damage caused by carcinogens and chemotherapy drugs. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of NER pathway key genes, altering mRNA expression or protein activity, can be significantly associated with response to chemotherapy, toxicities, tumor relapse or risk of developing cancer. In the present study, in a cohort of STS patients, we performed DNA extraction and genotyping by SNP assay, RNA extraction and quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR (qPCR), a molecular dynamics simulation in order to characterize the NER pathway in STS. We observed a severe deregulation of the NER pathway and we describe for the first time the effect of SNP rs1047768 in the ERCC5 structure, suggesting a role in modulating single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) binding. Our results evidenced, for the first time, the correlation between a specific genotype profile of ERCC genes and proficiency of the NER pathway in STS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriano Pasqui
- Medical Oncology Unit, Careggi University Hospital, 50134 Florence, Italy; (A.P.); (L.A.); (S.P.)
| | - Anna Boddi
- Orthopaedic Oncology Unit, Careggi University Hospital, 50134 Florence, Italy; (A.B.); (D.A.C.); (G.S.); (F.S.)
| | - Domenico Andrea Campanacci
- Orthopaedic Oncology Unit, Careggi University Hospital, 50134 Florence, Italy; (A.B.); (D.A.C.); (G.S.); (F.S.)
- Orthopaedic Oncology Unit, Careggi University Hospital, Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy
| | - Guido Scoccianti
- Orthopaedic Oncology Unit, Careggi University Hospital, 50134 Florence, Italy; (A.B.); (D.A.C.); (G.S.); (F.S.)
| | - Andrea Bernini
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy;
- Correspondence:
| | - Daniela Grasso
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy;
| | - Elisabetta Gambale
- Clinical Oncology Unit, Careggi University Hospital, 50134 Florence, Italy;
| | - Federico Scolari
- Orthopaedic Oncology Unit, Careggi University Hospital, 50134 Florence, Italy; (A.B.); (D.A.C.); (G.S.); (F.S.)
| | - Ilaria Palchetti
- Department of Chemistry Ugo Schiff, University of Florence, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy;
| | - Annarita Palomba
- Histopathology and Molecular Diagnostic Unit, Careggi University Hospital, 50134 Florence, Italy;
| | - Sara Fancelli
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy; (S.F.); (E.C.)
| | - Enrico Caliman
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy; (S.F.); (E.C.)
| | - Lorenzo Antonuzzo
- Medical Oncology Unit, Careggi University Hospital, 50134 Florence, Italy; (A.P.); (L.A.); (S.P.)
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy;
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy; (S.F.); (E.C.)
| | - Serena Pillozzi
- Medical Oncology Unit, Careggi University Hospital, 50134 Florence, Italy; (A.P.); (L.A.); (S.P.)
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy; (S.F.); (E.C.)
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XPA: DNA Repair Protein of Significant Clinical Importance. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21062182. [PMID: 32235701 PMCID: PMC7139726 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21062182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2020] [Revised: 03/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The nucleotide excision repair (NER) pathway is activated in response to a broad spectrum of DNA lesions, including bulky lesions induced by platinum-based chemotherapeutic agents. Expression levels of NER factors and resistance to chemotherapy has been examined with some suggestion that NER plays a role in tumour resistance; however, there is a great degree of variability in these studies. Nevertheless, recent clinical studies have suggested Xeroderma Pigmentosum group A (XPA) protein, a key regulator of the NER pathway that is essential for the repair of DNA damage induced by platinum-based chemotherapeutics, as a potential prognostic and predictive biomarker for response to treatment. XPA functions in damage verification step in NER, as well as a molecular scaffold to assemble other NER core factors around the DNA damage site, mediated by protein–protein interactions. In this review, we focus on the interacting partners and mechanisms of regulation of the XPA protein. We summarize clinical oncology data related to this DNA repair factor, particularly its relationship with treatment outcome, and examine the potential of XPA as a target for small molecule inhibitors.
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