TY - JOUR
T1 - MERTK as a novel therapeutic target in head and neck cancer
AU - von Mässenhausen, Anne
AU - Sanders, Christine
AU - Thewes, Britta
AU - Deng, Mario
AU - Queisser, Angela
AU - Vogel, Wenzel
AU - Kristiansen, Glen
AU - Duensing, Stefan
AU - Schröck, Andreas
AU - Bootz, Friedrich
AU - Brossart, Peter
AU - Kirfel, Jutta
AU - Heasley, Lynn
AU - Brägelmann, Johannes
AU - Perner, Sven
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2017 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2016/5/31
Y1 - 2016/5/31
N2 - Although head and neck cancer (HNSCC) is the sixth most common tumor entity worldwide therapy options remain limited leading to 5-year survival rates of only 50 %. MERTK is a promising therapeutic target in several tumor entities, however, its role in HNSCC has not been described yet. The aim of our study was to investigate the biological significance of MERTK and to evaluate its potential as a novel therapeutic target in this dismal tumor entity. In two large HNSCC cohorts (n=537 and n=520) we found that MERTK is overexpressed in one third of patients. In-vitro, MERTK overexpression led to increased proliferation, migration and invasion whereas MERTK inhibition with the small molecule inhibitor UNC1062 or MERTK knockdown reduced cell motility via the small GTPase RhoA. Taken together, we are the first to show that MERTK is frequently overexpressed in HNSCC and plays an important role in tumor cell motility. It might therefore be a potential target for selected patients suffering from this dismal tumor entity.
AB - Although head and neck cancer (HNSCC) is the sixth most common tumor entity worldwide therapy options remain limited leading to 5-year survival rates of only 50 %. MERTK is a promising therapeutic target in several tumor entities, however, its role in HNSCC has not been described yet. The aim of our study was to investigate the biological significance of MERTK and to evaluate its potential as a novel therapeutic target in this dismal tumor entity. In two large HNSCC cohorts (n=537 and n=520) we found that MERTK is overexpressed in one third of patients. In-vitro, MERTK overexpression led to increased proliferation, migration and invasion whereas MERTK inhibition with the small molecule inhibitor UNC1062 or MERTK knockdown reduced cell motility via the small GTPase RhoA. Taken together, we are the first to show that MERTK is frequently overexpressed in HNSCC and plays an important role in tumor cell motility. It might therefore be a potential target for selected patients suffering from this dismal tumor entity.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84973525541&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.18632/oncotarget.8724
DO - 10.18632/oncotarget.8724
M3 - Journal articles
C2 - 27081701
AN - SCOPUS:84973525541
SN - 1949-2553
VL - 7
SP - 32678
EP - 32694
JO - Oncotarget
JF - Oncotarget
IS - 22
ER -