Potential Therapeutic Significance of Laminin in Head and Neck Squamous Carcinomas

Abstract

Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) are among the most common and lethaltumorsworldwide,occurringmostlyinoralcavity,pharynx,andlarynxtissues. Thesquamous epithelia homeostasis is supported by the extracellular matrix (ECM), and alterations in this compartment are crucial for cancer development and progression. Laminin is a fundamental component of ECM, where it represents one of the main components of basement membrane (BM), and data supportingitscontributiontoHNSCCgenesisandprogressionhasbeenvastlyexploredinoralcavity squamouscellcarcinoma. Lamininsubtypes111(LN-111)and332(LN-332)arethemainisoformsassociated with malignant transformation, contributing to proliferation, adhesion, migration, invasion, and metastasis, due to its involvement in the regulation of several pathways associated with HNSCC carcinogenesis, including the activation of the EGFR/MAPK signaling pathway. Therefore, it draws attentiontothepossibilitythatlamininmayrepresentaconvergencepointinHNSCCnaturalhistory, and an attractive potential therapeutic target for these tumors.