Background:Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a prevalent malignancy with a poor prognosis. Surgical removal of the primary tumor and regional lymph nodes (LNs) remains the fundamental treatment for OSCC, although 40% of patients are negative for LN metastasis. The epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays a crucial role in OSCC progression by enabling epithelial cells to acquire mesenchymal traits, thereby facilitating migration and metastasis. Smad4, a tumor suppressor protein, is known to mediate EMT and is associated with poor prognosis and metastasis; however, its precise pro-metastatic role in OSCC via EMT remains unclear.Aims:We hypothesize that EMT and Smad4 could serve as practical diagnostic tools for personalized OSCC treatment.Methods:In this study, we analyzed 23 OSCC samples from Tzafon Medical Center, comparing the expression of Smad4 and EMT markers with clinical and histopathological data. Additionally, an OSCC cell model with and without Smad4 mutation was used to investigate tumor phenotypes, including proliferation and invasion, in relation to EMT markers.Results and Conclusion:Our findings reveal a strong correlation between EMT markers, Smad4 expression, and OSCC pathological staging, with the cell model further confirming the link between Smad4 and EMT markers. The combined influence of Smad4 and EMT markers on OSCC progression highlights their potential as diagnostic tools and as guides for personalized treatment strategies.
背景：口腔鳞状细胞癌（OSCC）是一种预后不良的常见恶性肿瘤。尽管40%的患者淋巴结转移呈阴性，但手术切除原发肿瘤及区域淋巴结仍是OSCC的基础治疗手段。上皮-间质转化（EMT）通过使上皮细胞获得间质特性，在促进OSCC进展、迁移和转移中发挥关键作用。抑癌蛋白Smad4已知可介导EMT，并与不良预后及转移相关，但其通过EMT在OSCC中促进转移的具体作用机制尚不明确。 目的：我们假设EMT和Smad4可作为个体化OSCC治疗的实用诊断工具。 方法：本研究分析了来自Tzafon医疗中心的23例OSCC样本，将Smad4及EMT标志物的表达与临床及组织病理学数据进行对比。同时采用具有/不具Smad4突变的OSCC细胞模型，研究其与EMT标志物相关的肿瘤表型，包括增殖和侵袭能力。 结果与结论：研究发现EMT标志物、Smad4表达与OSCC病理分期存在显著相关性，细胞模型进一步证实了Smad4与EMT标志物之间的关联。Smad4与EMT标志物对OSCC进展的协同影响，凸显了它们作为诊断工具及个体化治疗策略指导指标的潜在价值。
The Interplay of SMAD4 and EMT in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma
肿瘤(癌症)患者之家