Nerve‐tumour interaction enhances the aggressiveness of oral squamous cell carcinoma

• Published in: Clinical otolaryngology Vol. 44; no. 6; pp. 1087 - 1095
• Main Authors: Lee, Tsung‐Lun, Chiu, Po‐Hsien, Li, Wing‐Yin, Yang, Muh‐Hwa, Wei, Pei‐Yin, Chu, Pen‐Yuan, Wang, Yi‐Fen, Tai, Shyh‐Kuan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.11.2019
• Subjects: Cell migration; Drug dosages; Health care facilities; Human performance; Implantation; In vivo methods and tests; Lymph nodes; Lymphatic system; Metastases; Metastasis; nerve‐tumour interaction; Nervous system; Oral cancer; Oral squamous cell carcinoma; paracrine; Paracrine signalling; Pathogenesis; perineural invasion; perineural invasion focus number; Peripheral nerves; Soft tissues; Squamous cell carcinoma; Surgical implants; Therapeutic targets; Tumors; perineural invasion; oral squamous cell carcinoma; nerve-tumour interaction; paracrine; perineural invasion focus number
• ISSN: 1749-4478; 1749-4486; 1749-4486
• DOI: 10.1111/coa.13452

Objectives Perineural invasion (PNI) is a poor prognostic pathologic feature of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The mechanisms of PNI remain poorly understood, and nerve‐tumour interactions have been implicated for its pathogenesis. Design and setting Systematic investigation of nerve‐tumour interactions was performed using fresh human peripheral nerve. In vitro and in vivo models were used to determine the ability of human peripheral nerves to enhance OSCC migration/invasion. Retrospective cohort study was also carried out in one medical centre from 2001 to 2009. Participants 314 T1‐2 OSCC patients. Main outcome measures In the transwell migration/invasion assay, the cells in five representative fields were counted. In the nerve implantation model, tumour size was estimated. PNI quantification by PNI focus number was carried out in the OSCC patients to correlate with cervical lymph node metastasis and oncologic outcomes. Results The transwell migration/invasion assay demonstrated that human peripheral nerves, compared with subcutaneous soft tissue, significantly enhanced the migration/invasion abilities of OSCC. Moreover, the enhanced migration was dose‐dependent with increased length or number of peripheral nerve segments. The nerve implantation model showed that human peripheral nerve also enhanced OSCC growth in vivo. Finally, increased PNI focus number was found dose‐dependently associated with increased cervical lymph node metastasis and decreased 5‐year disease‐specific survival rates. Conclusions These results clearly indicated the presence of nerve‐tumour interaction that involved paracrine influences leading to aggressiveness of OSCC. Further investigations are required to explore key cell types and molecules involved in nerve‐tumour interactions for future therapeutic targeting of PNI in OSCC.