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Head and neck cancers

Squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck (SCC-HN) make up about 90% of all head and neck cancers (HNC). They are malignant tumours arising in various regions including oral cavity, larynx (throat) and pharynx (comprised of three parts: nasopharynx, oropharynx, and laryngopharynx). It can also include cancer of the salivary glands, sinuses, muscles or nerves in the head and neck, but these types of cancer are much less common.

SCC-HN are the seventh most common cancer diagnosis worldwide. They can arise due to a variety of aetiologic factors including tobacco-exposure, alcohol consumption and high-risk human papilloma virus (HPV) infection. Clinical outcomes and treatments vary by anatomic site with 5-year survival rates ranging from 40-80% depending on stage, subsite, and HPV status (1).

At CancerTools.org, we have created an ever-growing collection of head and neck cancer research (HNC) tools, including patient-derived cell lines, which offer in vitro models for specific SCC-HN anatomical sites and antibodies for studying HNC biology.

Our collection also features antibodies to support HNC research, including those for HPV, as HPV status is a favourable indicator of prognosis in some subsets of HNC. As well as antibodies for p53 and EGFR, as overexpression of EGFR and inhibition of p53 are commonly observed in HPV-negative SCC-HN.

Explore our head and neck cell line cancer collection

Head and neck cell lines provide an invaluable resource to study the diversity of head and neck cancers. They offer reproducible and easy-to-use tools for in vitro study of key regulatory pathways, determining malignant drivers, and testing potential therapeutic targets.

Key application areas and models of our head and neck cancer collection include:

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (SCC-HN) lines

Our collection includes tumour-derived cell lines replicating SCC-HN patient genetic features, such as the non-metastatic H157 line from buccal mucosa.

Some of these lines are tumourigenic and form tumours when transplanted in vivo, including:

  • TR146, our best-selling buccal mucosa HNC line, used as a model for assessing absorption and metabolism of substances and enzymatically labile drugs.
  • Most of the 9 BICR cell lines with varying SCC-HN stages, including the popular BICR 6.
Head and neck immortalised non-cancerous cell lines

Our collection of non-cancerous cell lines include normal head and neck epithelial cells as well as our popular dysplastic oral keratinocyte DOK cell line.

These lines are easier to culture than primary cells, produce reproducible results and can be used as a non-cancerous control in HNC research.

HPV-associated HNC cell lines

We have lines that model HPV-associated SCC-HN to allow a better understanding of HPV pathology and its role in SCC-HN.

These lines can be used to study pathogenesis, transformation and inflammation of human tonsillar epithelial cells.

Cancer types include:

1Barsouk et al. 2023. Med Sci (Basel). 11(2): 42. PMID: 37367741

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