Chemokines and squamous cancer of the head and neck: targets for therapeutic intervention?

Abstract

The biological properties of squamous carcinoma cells are intimately regulated by a multitude of cytokines and growth factors; the most well studied of these include epidermal growth factor receptor agonists and members of the transforming growth factor-β family. The recent explosion of research in the field of chemokine function as a mediator of tumor progression has led to the possibility that these small, immunomodulatory proteins also play key roles in squamous carcinogenesis and may, therefore, be potential targets for novel therapeutic approaches.

Keywords::

• chemokine
• oral cancer
• receptor
• signal transduction
• squamous cell carcinoma
• targeted therapeutic
• tumor progression