Expression analysis of MAML-1 in Head and NeckSquamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC) Patients

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth most common cancerworldwide. Various factors such as mutations in oncogene and tumor suppressor orregulators genes, tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption, can cause HNSCC. MAML-1 ismajor co-activator of Notch signaling pathway. This gene have recently attracted greatattention in studying the malignant progression of cells through a converging pathway ofoncogenesis and metastasis. The purpose of this study was to analysis of MAML-1 mRNAexpression in HNSCC and assess its correlation with clinicopathological features of thepatients.Tumoral and corresponding normal tissues from 55 HNSCC patients were enrolledin this study. After RNA isolation and cDNA synthesis, expression of the gene was analyzedusing relative comparative real-time RT-PCR. Overexpression of MAML-1 was observed in49.1 % of HNSCC tissues. There was a significant association between MAML1 geneexpression and Vascular invasion (P=0.048) of tumor cells. Based on the result MAML-1 isintroduced as new molecular markers of advanced tumor in HNSCC, which determine thecharacteristics and aggressive behavior of the disease. Furthermore, this geneismay besuggested as potentially interesting therapeutic targets for cancer therapy of HNSCC.

کلیدواژه ها:

MAML1 ، Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma ، HNSCC ، biomarker ، overexpression