Small extravesicular microRNA in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and its potential as a liquid biopsy for early detection

Chenna R Galiveti; Damaris Kuhnell; Jacek Biesiada; Xiang Zhang; Karl T Kelsey; Vinita Takiar; Alice L Tang; Trisha M Wise-Draper; Mario Medvedovic; Susan Kasper; Scott M Langevin

doi:10.1002/hed.27231

Small extravesicular microRNA in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and its potential as a liquid biopsy for early detection

Head Neck. 2023 Jan;45(1):212-224. doi: 10.1002/hed.27231. Epub 2022 Oct 22.

Authors

Chenna R Galiveti¹, Damaris Kuhnell¹, Jacek Biesiada², Xiang Zhang³, Karl T Kelsey^{4

5}, Vinita Takiar^{6

7

8}, Alice L Tang^{8

9}, Trisha M Wise-Draper^{8

10}, Mario Medvedovic^{2

8}, Susan Kasper^{3

8}, Scott M Langevin^{1

8}

Affiliations

¹ Division of Epidemiology, Department of Environmental & Public Health Sciences, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.
² Division of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Department of Environmental & Public Health Sciences, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.
³ Division of Environmental Genetics & Molecular Toxicology, Department of Environmental & Public Health Sciences, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.
⁴ Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island, USA.
⁵ Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA.
⁶ Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.
⁷ Cincinnati VA Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.
⁸ University of Cincinnati Cancer Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.
⁹ Department of Otolaryngology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.
¹⁰ Division of Hematology & Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.

Abstract

Background: The objective was to assess secretion of small extracellular vesicular microRNA (exo-miRNA) in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) according to human papillomavirus (HPV) status, and determine the translational potential as a liquid biopsy for early detection.

Methods: This study employed a combination of cell culture and case-control study design using archival pretreatment serum. Small extracellular vesicles (sEV) were isolated from conditioned culture media and human serum samples via differential ultracentrifugation. miRNA-sequencing was performed on each sEV isolate.

Results: There were clear exo-miRNA profiles that distinguished HNSCC cell lines from nonpathologic oral epithelial control cells. While there was some overlap among profiles across all samples, there were apparent differences in exo-miRNA profiles according to HPV-status. Importantly, differential exo-miRNA profiles were also apparent in serum from early-stage HNSCC cases relative to cancer-free controls.

Conclusions: Our findings indicate that exo-miRNA are highly dysregulated in HNSCC and support the potential of exo-miRNA as biomarkers for HNSCC.

Keywords: HNSCC; HPV; exosomes; head and neck cancer; miRNA.

MeSH terms

Case-Control Studies
Head and Neck Neoplasms* / diagnosis
Head and Neck Neoplasms* / genetics
Humans
Liquid Biopsy
MicroRNAs* / genetics
Papillomaviridae / genetics
Papillomavirus Infections* / genetics
Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck / genetics

Substances

MicroRNAs

Abstract

MeSH terms

Substances

Grants and funding