Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck

NPC is a rare malignancy with significant geographical variations in incidence rates. Somatostatin receptor 2 (SSTR2) expression in NPC is well documented and can serve as a potential theragnostic marker in advanced NPC where the successful outcome is minimal with currently available treatment modalities.

These results indicated that shRNA-mediated MBD2 knockdown suppresses HNSCC cell growth by upregulating p21 expression. In addition to its role as an oncogene, MBD2 may serve as a prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for HNSCC patients.

The OPNI may be a useful prognostic factor for tongue cancer.

P1, N=41, Not yet recruiting, VLP Therapeutics

P1/2, N=24, Active, not recruiting, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center | Trial primary completion date: Sep 2023 --> May 2025

P2, N=40, Recruiting, ImmunityBio, Inc. | Active, not recruiting --> Recruiting | N=147 --> 40

P1, N=14, Recruiting, University of Alabama at Birmingham | Trial primary completion date: Mar 2025 --> Mar 2026

In conclusion, the identification of Loc646329 as a sponge for miR-21 and its impact on the RAS/MAPK signaling pathway offers new opportunities for the development of innovative therapeutic strategies for OSCC. Further investigations into this regulatory axis may uncover additional targets for precision medicine approaches in the treatment of OSCC.

High RFC4 expression in OSCC tumors was linked to increased levels of MET, along with reduced levels of CD274 and CD160. Overall, the present study reveals that RFC4 may play a pivotal role in OSCC tumorigenesis and could serve as a potential predictive marker for the efficacy of immunotherapy.

CTSG impedes the proliferation and metastasis of HNSC in vivo and in vitro. CTSG is potential to act as a cancer suppressor in HNSC by focusing on the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway, indicating its possible use as a diagnostic marker and treatment target for HNSC.

We found that immunotherapy and EGFR inhibitor combination therapy showed promise in treating patients with HNSCC and exhibited safety with acceptable adverse events. This review may provide valuable insights for the future development of treatments and formulation of therapeutic strategies for HNSCC, as well as useful information for the future design of clinical trials.

Its levels also increased with tumor aggressiveness from WDSCC to MDSCC. Thus, salivary IL-6 could have a diagnostic and/or prognostic significance in identifying high-risk groups in mass screening of the population.

P2, N=80, Recruiting, Lisata Therapeutics, Inc. | Trial completion date: Dec 2025 --> Mar 2026 | Trial primary completion date: Dec 2025 --> Mar 2026

P2, N=80, Recruiting, Dan Zandberg | Trial completion date: Sep 2027 --> Sep 2026 | Trial primary completion date: May 2027 --> May 2026

This study confirmed significant differences in DNA methylation patterns among oral normal, dysplastic, and cancerous cells. Astaxanthin can reduce the promoter CpG methylation level of TSGs by reducing DNA methyltransferase 1 protein expression level, upregulating mRNA and protein expression, and subsequently modulating the biological behavior of DOK.

P1, N=7, Active, not recruiting, National Cancer Institute (NCI) | N=37 --> 7 | Trial completion date: Nov 2024 --> Dec 2025

The LCS6 region alteration of the KRAS may play a key role in further cancer progression, and more research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms by which the LCS6 alterations promote cancer progression.

These data demonstrate the clinical potential of Trop-2-directed therapy in managing heavily pretreated patients with advanced HNSCC.

Cox regression identified the combined p16INK4a and Mib/Ki-67 status as a risk factor on OS (HR 6.25; CI1.26-31.0; p=0.025) and RFS (HR 5.88; CI1.19-29.20; p=0.030). These results underscore the importance of a combined assessment of p16INK4a and Mib/Ki-67 in evaluating the prognosis of OSCC, leading to the identification of distinct subgroups that may serve as risk factors for treatment stratification.

P=N/A, N=103, Completed, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary

Cancer risks increased after organ transplant across all subgroups. These differences in TBD-associated cancer risks by mode of inheritance suggest cancer screening could be tailored by genotype, but additional research is warranted.

Rescue experiments confirmed that the ETS1-RRAS2 axis is crucial for maintaining the glycolytic phenotype and proliferative capacity of HNSCC cells. These findings suggest that the ETS1-RRAS2 pathway plays a critical role in HNSCC progression and metabolic adaptation, positioning RRAS2 as a potential therapeutic target for improving patient outcomes.

Higher age, higher TNM staging, and low H19 expression were independent predictors of loco-regional recurrence. The findings in the present study indicate that H19 is a novel prognostic marker and may provide a therapeutic strategy for the targeted treatment of OSCC, and tobacco may play a role in the expression of H19.

P2, N=23, Recruiting, University of Oklahoma | Trial primary completion date: Oct 2024 --> Jan 2025

P2, N=28, Not yet recruiting, Shanghai Zhongshan Hospital

P2, N=100, Not yet recruiting, Gilead Sciences

Lastly, interrogation of T cell populations within lymph nodes is beginning to delineate the immune crosstalk between the primary tumour and tumour-draining lymph nodes and how this relationship might be disrupted with tumour infiltration of the latter. In this Review, we examine data from trials testing neoadjuvant ICIs in patients with HNSCC, focusing on human papillomavirus-unrelated disease, and highlight correlative immunogenomic findings from these trials.

P=N/A, N=401, Completed, Hellenic Cooperative Oncology Group

P2, N=50, Recruiting, Beijing Tongren Hospital

P=N/A, N=30, Not yet recruiting, University Medical Center Groningen

P=N/A, N=100, Recruiting, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University

P2, N=46, Recruiting, Institut de cancérologie Strasbourg Europe

P2, N=59, Terminated, Sanofi | Active, not recruiting --> Terminated; Early discontinuation based on strategic sponsor decision not driven by any safety concerns.

In addition, it has been demonstrated that IGF2BP2, as m6A reader, is able to promote RIMBP2 stability via binding to m6A sites in the RIMBP2-coding sequence region. Therefore, the present study has unveiled a potential mechanism via which IGF2BP2 promotes HNSCC development and radiotherapy resistance; moreover, from a therapeutic perspective, IGF2BP2 may serve as a potential therapeutic target and a valuable prognostic biomarker for patients with HNSCC who have developed tolerance towards radiotherapy.

From these findings, osteopontin can also be used as a reliable biomarker to predict the prognosis of oral cancer. Since there were only two studies to substantiate the finding, there is limited evidence and more studies are warranted to confirm the results.

TAM-derived exosomes promote EMT in HNSCC cells by upregulating MIR4435-2HG expression, suggesting that MIR4435-2HG is a candidate target for HNSCC therapy.

P2, N=44, Active, not recruiting, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center | Recruiting --> Active, not recruiting | Trial completion date: Dec 2024 --> Dec 2025 | Trial primary completion date: Dec 2024 --> Dec 2025

P=N/A, N=200, Recruiting, Roswell Park Cancer Institute | Trial completion date: Oct 2025 --> Oct 2027 | Trial primary completion date: Oct 2024 --> Oct 2027

P1/2, N=108, Active, not recruiting, Suzhou Junde Biotechnology Co., Ltd | Not yet recruiting --> Active, not recruiting | Trial completion date: Jan 2024 --> Jun 2025 | Trial primary completion date: Jan 2024 --> Nov 2024

P=N/A, N=20, Not yet recruiting, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University

P1, N=48, Completed, Symphogen A/S | Active, not recruiting --> Completed

P1/2, N=66, Active, not recruiting, University of California, Davis | Recruiting --> Active, not recruiting | Trial completion date: Jan 2026 --> Dec 2026 | Trial primary completion date: Jan 2026 --> Dec 2026