@Article{or.2025.064276,
AUTHOR = {Li Yu, Xiaoyan Zhang, Yan Feng, Xinyue Liao, Tiejun Zhou, Hang Si, Yun Feng, Decai Wang, Yongxian Lai},
TITLE = {Identifying ATP-Binding Cassette Member B5 as a New Biomarker for Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma},
JOURNAL = {Oncology Research},
VOLUME = {33},
YEAR = {2025},
NUMBER = {8},
PAGES = {2037--2053},
URL = {http://www.techscience.com/or/v33n8/63053},
ISSN = {1555-3906},
ABSTRACT = { <b>Background:</b> Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common head and neck malignancy with a low five-year survival rate. ATP-binding cassette subfamily B member 5 (ABCB5) has been linked to tumorigenesis. However, its role in inducing OSCC remains unclear. <b>Methods:</b> Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), western blot, and immunocytochemistry (ICC) were performed to examine the level of ABCB5 in OSCC (CAL27 and HSC-3) and human oral keratinocyte (HOK). ABCB5 was knocked down in CAL27 cells using ABCB5-specific small interfering RNA (ABCB5 siRNA), and its contribution to migration, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a process by which epithelial cells lose their tight junction and acquire an increased migratory and invasive phenotype resembling that of mesenchymal cells, were evaluated by three-dimension and transwell migration and invasion assays, qRT-PCR and ICC. An <i>in vivo</i> OSCC model was established using 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (4NQO), a carcinogenic chemical that is commonly used to develop OSCC by destroying DNA synthesis and oxidative stress. Pathological alterations, ABCB5, and EMT markers were evaluated by H&E staining, immunohistochemistry, and qRT-PCR. <b>Results:</b> ABCB5 was significantly upregulated in CAL27 and HSC-3 cells as compared to HOK. Knockdown of ABCB5 significantly reduced the number of migrated and invaded CAL27 cells, accompanied by the significantly increased E-cadherin and decreased Vimentin and N-cadherin under Transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) treatment. <i>In vivo</i>, as OSCC advanced, a notable rise in the expressions of ABCB5, N-cadherin, and Vimentin, while a statistical decrease in E-cadherin was demonstrated. <b>Conclusion:</b> ABCB5 promotes the migration, invasion, and EMT of OSCC. ABCB5 might be a new biomarker and potential therapeutic target for OSCC.},
DOI = {10.32604/or.2025.064276}
}