Project information
Targeting PLK1: a novel strategy to restore primary cilia integrity and harness genomic instability in oral squamous cell carcinoma

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a frequent malignancy with limited therapeutic options and a relatively poor prognosis. Here, we hypothesize that NEK2 and PLK1 play a key role in the regulation of cell proliferation, primary cilia, and chromosome instability in OSCC. The goal of the proposed project is to comprehensively explore their functional roles in this disease entity while using a set of human OSCC cell lines through their overexpression and knock-down approaches, and the use of specific inhibitors. These experiments will be complemented through analyses of primary human OSCC samples, and by a congenic mouse model of OSCC. In summary, we will for the first time thoroughly characterize the abundance and role of primary cilia in OSCC. The impact of NEK2 and PLK1, which have been studied in OSCC only to a limited extent, on basic tumor-related properties as well as on the PC and on chromosome instability will be explored. Since both NEK2 and PLK1 are potentially druggable targets, our studies may pave the way for the development of novel therapeutic approaches in OSCC.