Cancer Cell Metabolism Reprogramming and Its Potential Implications on Therapy in Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck: A Review

Overview

Journal Cancers (Basel)

Publisher MDPI

Specialty Oncology

Date 2022 Jul 27

PMID 35892820

Authors

Francesco Perri

Giuseppina Della Vittoria Scarpati

Monica Pontone

Maria Luisa Marciano

Alessandro Ottaiano

Marco Cascella

Francesco Sabbatino

Agostino Guida

Mariachiara Santorsola

Piera Maiolino

Ernesta Cavalcanti

Giulia Togo

Franco Ionna

Francesco Caponigro

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Carcinogenesis is a multistep process that consists of the transformation of healthy cells into cancer cells. Such an alteration goes through various stages and is closely linked to random mutations of genes that have a key role in the neoplastic phenotype. During carcinogenesis, cancer cells acquire and exhibit several characteristics including sustaining proliferative signaling, evading growth suppressors, resisting cell death, enabling replicative immortality, inducing angiogenesis, activating invasion and metastasis, and expressing an immune phenotype, which allow them to evade recognition and destruction through cognate immune cells. In addition, cancer cells may acquire the ability to reprogram their metabolism in order to further promote growth, survival, and energy production. This phenomenon, termed metabolic reprogramming, is typical of all solid tumors, including squamous carcinomas of the head and neck (SCCHN). In this review, we analyze the genetic and biological mechanisms underlying metabolic reprogramming of SCCHN, focusing on potential therapeutic strategies that are able to counteract it.

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