MicroHNSCC

Title: Study of the microbiota as a factor involved in the onset, progression and response to treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Research group: Evolutionary Genetics

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCCC) is diagnosed worldwide in more than half a million patients a year, being the third tumour with the highest incidence in developed countries and the sixth worldwide. Tobacco and alcohol use, or infection with certain human papillomavirus genotypes are primary risk factors. However they are not enough to explain the incidence, and probably other factors not described play a key role in the development, progression and metastasis of this type of tumours.

Radiotherapy is one of the standard treatments for these patients. However, although many respond well, a significant proportion of them do not. For this reason, it is essential to predict radiation sensitivity, the underlying mechanisms of which are poorly understood, both genetic and environmental factors having been postulated, with growing evidence suggesting that a key environmental factor is the microbiota. Cancer-associated local or distant microbiota can influence cancer cells to display cancer-specific inflammatory, immune, and metabolic responses that modulate cancer initiation, progression, and response to treatment.

Resistance to radiotherapy in HNSCCC tumour cells may be determined in part by a different microbiota profile than that found in radiosensitive tumour cells. For this reason, this project aims to identify a specific microbiota pattern with prognostic capacity and evaluate whether this pattern modulates the response to treatment of advanced head and neck tumours through its interaction with tumour metabolism.

Global funding: 235,100 €

Ref: CDEI-06/20-E

Vicente Pérez Brocal

Conselleria de Sanitat Universal i Salut Pública