Characterization of Metabolic Reprogramming in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Application Prospects for Targeted Therapy

• Published in: Zhongliu fangzhi yanjiu Vol. 51; no. 12; pp. 1046 - 1050
• Main Authors: Wang, Ruilin, Ma, Yuxiu, Liu, Xuelin, Zhang, Qi, Wang, Guoyin, Li, Hongling
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Chinese; English
• Published: Tianjin China Anti-Cancer Association 01.12.2024; Magazine House of Cancer Research on Prevention and Treatment
• Subjects: Amino acids; Biological activity; Biosynthesis; Complexity; Glycolysis; Head and neck carcinoma; head and neck squamous carcinoma; Lipid metabolism; Lipids; Medical prognosis; metabolic reprogramming; Metabolism; Metastases; Squamous cell carcinoma; targeted therapy; therapeutic strategies; Therapeutic targets; Tumor cells; Tumor microenvironment; Tumors
• ISSN: 1000-8578
• DOI: 10.3971/j.issn.1000-8578.2024.24.0545

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the seventh most common malignant tumor in the world, with a 5-year survival rate of only about 50%. Thus, discovering more effective diagnostic and therapeutic approaches is an urgent need. The metabolic reprogramming of tumor cells is a key feature in the development of HNSCC, which widely exhibits alterations in glycolytic metabolism, lipid metabolism, and amino acid metabolism compared with normal cells. Metabolic reprogramming affects the energy supply and biosynthesis of tumor cells. It also participates in the regulation of the tumor microenvironment and promotes key biological processes such as proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of HNSCC. With the progressive understanding of the complexity of tumor biology, targeted-therapy strategies against metabolic reprogramming in HNSCC are emerging as a promising therapeutic approach. These metabolically targeted therapies have performed well in preclinical studies, but their clinical application requires further validation. In the future, we need to deeply explore the more complex features of metabolic reprogramming and its biological significance in HNSCC, with the aim of discovering more effective diagnostic and therapeutic targets, as well as providing new strategies to improve the prognosis of HNSCC patients.