HERC1 oncogene enhances stemness and tumorigenic potential in CD44+-derived organoids of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma through IL-6/STAT3 signaling
This research identifies HERC1's role in enhancing stemness and tumorigenicity in head and neck cancer organoids, suggesting potential therapeutic targets.
Key Points
To explore the role of HERC1 in promoting cancer stemness and chemoresistance in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
Assessed stemness and EMT in CD44⁺ HNSCC organoids with shRNA-mediated HERC1 knockdown.
Conducted molecular assays, CAF co-culture, xenograft studies, and tissue immunohistochemistry.
Investigated IL-6/STAT3 signaling pathways in relation to HERC1 expression.
High HERC1 levels correlated with cancer stemness signatures in HNSCC datasets.
HERC1 knockdown reduced important markers like Sox2 and Slug, impacting metastasis.
HERC1 inhibition led to decreased tumor growth and increased apoptosis in vivo studies.