ArticleOncotarget2016
CCL2/EGF positive feedback loop between cancer cells and macrophages promotes cell migration and invasion in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
Article in Oncotarget, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 47 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
47 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 72 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effect of tumor microenvironment on pathogenesis of the head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: a systematic review.Molecular cancer · 2019Pooled it
- Plasma-Derived sEVs from HNSCC Patients Differentially Regulate NF-κB Signaling in Macrophages Depending on the HPV Status.Cancers · 2026Article
- Curcumin and Its Derivatives as Anticancer Agents in Head and Neck Cancer: Molecular Mechanisms and Preclinical Evidence.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Review
- Review
- Characterizing the Head and Neck Cancer Microenvironment: Implications for Immunotherapy and Prognosis.Advances in experimental medicine and biology · 2026Review
- Foslip-Mediated Photodynamic Treatment Reprograms Macrophages Phenotype in Tri-Culture Head and Neck Cancer Spheroids.International journal of nanomedicine · 2026Article
- Multi-omics Approaches to CCAAT/Enhancer-Binding Protein Beta in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Crosstalk Between Tumor Cells and Tumor-Associated Macrophages Driving Disease Progression.Current cancer drug targets · 2026Article
- Cooperation between ZEB2 and SP1 upregulates PD‑L1 and CCL2 to promote the immunosuppressive activity of tumor cells.International journal of oncology · 2025Article
- Review
- Hypoxia and activation of hypoxia inducible factor alpha as influencers of inflammatory helper T cells in autoimmune disease - a link between cancer and autoimmunity.Frontiers in immunology · 2025Review
- Molecular biology of the deadliest cancer - glioblastoma: what do we know?Frontiers in immunology · 2025Review
- How to Use Macrophages Against Cancer.Cells · 2024Review
- The Central Roles of Keratinocytes in Coordinating Skin Immunity.The Journal of investigative dermatology · 2024Review
- Deciphering the performance of macrophages in tumour microenvironment: a call for precision immunotherapy.Journal of hematology & oncology · 2024Review
- Crosstalk between cancer cells and macrophages promotes OSCC cell migration and invasion through a CXCL1/EGF positive feedback loop.Discover oncology · 2024Article
- Verification of the expression trend and interaction prediction of innate immune cells and immune-checkpoint molecules in the process of oral mucosal carcinogenesis.Hua xi kou qiang yi xue za zhi = Huaxi kouqiang yixue zazhi = West China journal of stomatology · 2024Article
- Article
- High-Dose Paclitaxel and its Combination with CSF1R Inhibitor in Polymeric Micelles for Chemoimmunotherapy of Triple Negative Breast Cancer.Nano today · 2023Article
- Homeobox A7 promotes esophageal squamous cell carcinoma progression through C-C motif chemokine ligand 2-mediated tumor-associated macrophage recruitment.Cancer science · 2023Article
- Targeted therapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma microenvironment.Frontiers in medicine · 2023Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
9 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) represents the most frequent malignancy in the head and neck region, and the survival rate has not been improved significantly over the past three decades. It has been reported the infiltrated macrophages contribute to the malignant progression of HNSCC. However, the crosstalk between macrophages and cancer cells remains poorly understood. In the present study, we explored interactions between monocytes/macrophages and HNSCC cells by establishing the direct co-culture system, and found that the crosstalk promoted the migration and invasion of cancer cells by enhancing the invadopodia formation through a CCL2/EGF positive feedback loop. Our results demonstrated HNSCC cells educated monocytes into M2-like macrophages by releasing C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2, or MCP-1). And the M2-like macrophages secreted epithelial growth factor (EGF), which increased the motility of HNSCC cells by enhancing the invadopodia formation. These subcellular pseudopodia degraded extracellular matrix (ECM), facilitating tumor local invasion and distant metastasis. Moreover, EGF up-regulated CCL2 expression in HNSCC cells, which recruited monocytes and turned them into M2-like macrophages, thus forming a positive feedback paracrine loop. Finally, we reported that curcumin, a powerful natural drug, suppressed the production of EGF and CCL2 in macrophages and cancer cells, respectively, blocking the feedback loop and suppressing the migration and invasion of HNSCC cells. These results shed light on the possibilities and approaches based on targeting the crosstalk between cancer cells and monocytes/macrophages in HNSCC for potential cancer therapy.
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