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Cancer Stem Cells in the Biology and Treatment of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

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Targeting Oral Cancer

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Abstract

Emerging evidence has demonstrated that the pathobiology of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) is defined by the function of cancer stem cells. These cancer stem cells constitute a small fraction of the overall tumor cells, typically ranging between 1 and 5 % of the overall tumor mass. They share the properties of multipotency and self-renewal with physiological stem cells. However, cancer stem cells are endowed with high tumorigenic potential, which makes these cells an integral part of tumor initiation and progression toward metastasis. These findings have provided a strong rationale for targeted elimination of cancer stem cells in the treatment of patients with head and neck cancer. Recent studies demonstrated that the cancer stem cells are highly resistant to conventional chemotherapy, which may explain why so many head and neck cancer patients experience tumor recurrence. Therefore, the elimination of these cancer stem cells will likely require the development of therapies specifically targeted to these cells. In this chapter, we will review the evidence on head and neck cancer stem cells and the perivascular niche where these cells typically reside and will also discuss initial attempts to overcome resistance to treatment by combining debulking therapies with cancer stem cell-targeted therapies.

Hong S. Kim and April Adams contributed equally to this work.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the patients who kindly provided the tumor specimens used to generate the cell lines and patient-derived xenograft models needed for research. The work was funded by the NIH Cancer Biology Training Program Grant T32-CA009676 (HSK, AA), University of Michigan Head and Neck SPORE P50-CA-97248 from the NIH/NCI, and grants R01-DE23220 and R01-DE21139 from the NIH/NIDCR (JEN).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cariology, Restorative Sciences, Endodontics, University of Michigan School of Dentistry, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-1078, USA

    Hong S. Kim BS, April Adams BS & Jacques E. Nör DDS, MS, PhD

  2. Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan College of Engineering, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Jacques E. Nör DDS, MS, PhD

  3. Department of Otolaryngology, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Jacques E. Nör DDS, MS, PhD

  4. University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Jacques E. Nör DDS, MS, PhD

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  1. Hong S. Kim BS
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  2. April Adams BS
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  3. Jacques E. Nör DDS, MS, PhD
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Correspondence to Jacques E. Nör DDS, MS, PhD .

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  1. School of Medicine, Wayne State University, DETROIT, Michigan, USA

    Andrew M. Fribley

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Kim, H.S., Adams, A., Nör, J.E. (2016). Cancer Stem Cells in the Biology and Treatment of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma. In: M. Fribley, A. (eds) Targeting Oral Cancer. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-27647-2_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-27647-2_6

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