Cancers that are known collectively as head and neck cancers usually develop in the squamous cells of the mucosal surfaces of the head and neck areas (for example, those mucosal surfaces inside the mouth, throat, and voice box). These cancers are referred to as squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck. The general category of head and neck cancers can also include those of the salivary glands, sinuses, or muscles or nerves in the head and neck, but these types of cancer are much less common than squamous cell carcinomas.
Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) are the sixth most common cancer worldwide and consist of malignant tumours of the oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx, and larynx. They are known to arise due to a variety of etiologic 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.
It is important to build in-vitro models representing these specific HNSCC anatomical sites in order to model their differences. Cancer cell lines provide an invaluable resource of research tools to study the diversity of head and neck cancers. These squamous epithelial cell lines represent tools for in vitro studies to investigate key regulatory pathways, determine malignant drivers, and to discriminate potential therapeutic targets in genetically characterised models. Our current collection contains Head and Neck cell lines, including squamous cell carcinoma (scc)-derived cultures.