CD200: association with cancer stem cell features and response to chemoradiation in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Yuh-Seog Jung, Paola D Vermeer, Daniel W Vermeer, Sang-Jin Lee, Ah Ra Goh, Hyun-Joo Ahn, John H Lee

Index: Head Neck 37(3) , 327-35, (2015)

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to characterize the expression of CD200, a membrane protein that functions in immune evasion, to examine its correlations with cancer stem cell (CSC)-like features and analyze its response to chemotherapy and radiation in human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive (+) and negative (-) head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs).CD200 expression was analyzed in several HNSCC cell lines. CD200 was overexpressed in HPV(+) murine tonsil epithelial cells, its effects on Shh and Bmi-1 were examined in vitro, and tumor growth and response to chemoradiation were analyzed in vitro and in vivo.CD200 was diversely expressed and consistently associated with expression of Bmi-1 and Shh. Overexpression of CD200 induced Bmi-1 and Shh. Tumors grew similarly between C57BL/6 and Rag1(-/-) C57BL/6 mice. CD200 expression enhanced the resistance to chemoradiation only in vivo.CD200 was related to CSC features and modulates response to chemoradiation in vivo. Attenuating this might be a potential therapeutic strategy.© 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.