Targeting Apoptosis to Overcome Cisplatin Resistance: A Translational Study in Head and Neck Cancer

  • Joshua A. Bauer
  • , Bhavna Kumar
  • , Kitrina G. Cordell
  • , Mark E. Prince
  • , Huong H. Tran
  • , Gregory T. Wolf
  • , Douglas B. Chepeha
  • , Theodoros N. Teknos
  • , Steven Wang
  • , Avraham Eisbruch
  • , Christina I. Tsien
  • , Susan G. Urba
  • , Francis P. Worden
  • , Julia Lee
  • , Kent A. Griffith
  • , Jeremy M.G. Taylor
  • , Nisha D'Silva
  • , Shaomeng J. Wang
  • , Keith G. Wolter
  • , Bradley Henson
  • Susan G. Fisher, Thomas E. Carey, Carol R. Bradford

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    34 Scopus citations

    Abstract

    Purpose: Cisplatin resistance remains a barrier to organ-sparing and survival of patients with advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Targeted therapies to overcome cisplatin-resistant HNSCC are being developed. Methods and Materials: Cisplatin-sensitive parental HNSCC cell lines and cisplatin-resistant progeny were studied. Pretreatment HNSCC biopsies were used to construct tissue microarrays which were stained for p53 and Bcl-xL. Results: HNSCC cell lines selected for cisplatin resistance had wild-type p53 and high levels of Bcl-xL. Expression of wild-type p53 in cell lines with low Bcl-xL enhanced cisplatin sensitivity. Expression of both Bcl-xL and wild-type p53 caused tumor cells to become cisplatin resistant. Patients whose tumors expressed low levels of p53 and Bcl-xL enjoyed the best organ preservation and disease-free survival whereas patients whose tumors expressed low levels of p53 and high levels of Bcl-xL had the worst outcome. Novel agents that inhibit Bcl-xL or activate p53 function may target cisplatin-resistant HNSCC. Conclusion: Cisplatin resistance in HNSCC is mediated, at least in part, by high Bcl-xL and functional p53.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)S106-S108
    JournalInternational Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics
    Volume69
    Issue number2 SUPPL.
    DOIs
    StatePublished - Oct 1 2007

    Keywords

    • Chemoradiation
    • Head and neck cancer
    • Larynx preservation
    • Predictive markers

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