ArticlePloS one2008
CD44s and CD44v6 expression in head and neck epithelia.
Article in PloS one, 2008. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 81 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
81 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 186 citations in OpenAlex.
- Expression of Cancer Stem Cell Biomarkers in Human Head and Neck Carcinomas: a Systematic Review.Stem cell reviews and reports · 2018Pooled it
- Role of microRNAs in cisplatin response of cancer stem cells.Stem cell research & therapy · 2026Review
- CD44v6 is associated with tumor aggressiveness and chemoresistance in bladder cancer.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Signaling pathways as the pivotal regulators of cisplatin resistance in tumor cells through SOX2 upregulation.Medical oncology (Northwood, London, England) · 2025Review
- A New Model to Investigate the Action of Radiation and Cigarette Smoke on Head and Neck Cancer Cells.Cancers · 2025Article
- EGFR-mediated local invasiveness and response to Cetuximab in head and neck cancer.Molecular cancer · 2025Article
- Article
- Expression of CD44 in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma-AnGlobal medical genetics · 2023Article
- 5'-Ectonucleotidase CD73/NT5E supports EGFR-mediated invasion of HPV-negative head and neck carcinoma cells.Journal of biomedical science · 2023Article
- NAD pool as an antitumor target against cancer stem cells in head and neck cancer.Journal of experimental & clinical cancer research : CR · 2023Article
- Bmi-1: A master regulator of head and neck cancer stemness.Frontiers in oral health · 2023Review
- CAR-T cell immunotherapy for ovarian cancer: hushing the silent killer.Frontiers in immunology · 2023Review
- A transcriptomic map of EGFR-induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition identifies prognostic and therapeutic targets for head and neck cancer.Molecular cancer · 2022Article
- Isolation and characterization of head and neck cancer-derived peritumoral and cancer-associated fibroblasts.Frontiers in oncology · 2022Article
- SLUG-related partial epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition is a transcriptomic prognosticator of head and neck cancer survival.Molecular oncology · 2022Article
- Correlation of Soluble CD44 Expression in Saliva and CD44 Protein in Oral Leukoplakia Tissues.Cancers · 2021Article
- Review
- Discrimination of Cancer Stem Cell Markers ALDH1A1, BCL11B, BMI-1, and CD44 in Different Tissues of HNSCC Patients.Current oncology (Toronto, Ont.) · 2021Article
- Cancer stem cell markers in adenocarcinoma of the salivary glands - reliable prognostic markers?European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2021Article
- Digital scoring of EpCAM and slug expression as prognostic markers in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas.Molecular oncology · 2021Article
21 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
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Authors and funding
2 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundCD44 splice variants are long-known as being associated with cell transformation. Recently, the standard form of CD44 (CD44s) was shown to be part of the signature of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in colon, breast, and in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC). This is somewhat in contradiction to previous reports on the expression of CD44s in HNSCC. The aim of the present study was to clarify the actual pattern of CD44 expression in head and neck epithelia.
methodsExpression of CD44s and CD44v6 was analysed by immunohistochemistry with specific antibodies in primary head and neck tissues. Scoring of all specimens followed a two-parameters system, which implemented percentages of positive cells and staining intensities from - to +++ (score = % x intensity; resulting max. score 300). In addition, cell surface expression of CD44s and CD44v6 was assessed in lymphocytes and HNSCC.
resultsIn normal epithelia CD44s and CD44v6 were expressed in 60-95% and 50-80% of cells and yielded mean scores with a standard error of a mean (SEM) of 249.5+/-14.5 and 198+/-11.13, respectively. In oral leukoplakia and in moderately differentiated carcinomas CD44s and CD44v6 levels were slightly increased (278.9+/-7.16 and 242+/-11.7; 291.8+/-5.88 and 287.3+/-6.88). Carcinomas in situ displayed unchanged levels of both proteins whereas poorly differentiated carcinomas consistently expressed diminished CD44s and CD44v6 levels. Lymphocytes and HNSCC lines strongly expressed CD44s but not CD44v6.
conclusionCD44s and CD44v6 expression does not distinguish normal from benign or malignant epithelia of the head and neck. CD44s and CD44v6 were abundantly present in the great majority of cells in head and neck tissues, including carcinomas. Hence, the value of CD44s as a marker for the definition of a small subset of cells (i.e. less than 10%) representing head and neck cancer stem cells may need revision.
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