Progress of molecular targeted therapy for head and neck cancer in clinical aspects

Sci-Seq of Human Fetal Salivary Tissue Introduces Human Transcriptional Paradigms and a Novel Cell Population

Multiple pathologies and non-pathological factors can disrupt the function of the non-regenerative human salivary gland including cancer and cancer therapeutics, autoimmune diseases, infections, pharmaceutical side effects, and traumatic injury. Despite the wide range of pathologies, no therapeutic or regenerative approaches exist to address salivary gland loss, likely due to significant gaps in our understanding of salivary gland development. Moreover, identifying the tissue of origin when diagnosing salivary carcinomas requires an understanding of human fetal development. Using computational tools, we identify developmental branchpoints, a novel stem cell-like population, and key signaling pathways in the human developing salivary glands by analyzing our human fetal single-cell sequencing data. Trajectory and transcriptional analysis suggest that the earliest progenitors yield excretory duct and myoepithelial cells and a transitional population that will yield later ductal cell types. Importantly, this single-cell analysis revealed a previously undescribed population of stem cell-like cells that are derived from SD and expresses high levels of genes associated with stem cell-like function. We have observed these rare cells, not in a single niche location but dispersed within the developing duct at later developmental stages. Our studies introduce new human-specific developmental paradigms for the salivary gland and lay the groundwork for the development of translational human therapeutics.

Case report: Prompt response to radiotherapy and chemotherapy combined with crizotinib in gingival sarcomatoid squamous cell carcinoma with MET 14 mutation

Background

As a kind of squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck (HNSCC), gingival sarcomatoid squamous cell carcinoma (GSSCC) is a rare biphasic malignant neoplasm. To date, surgical resection was often utilized for gingival squamous cell carcinoma (GSCC), while for patients with advanced gingival carcinoma who cannot tolerate surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy can be regarded as a treatment strategy. Many molecular-targeted drugs were investigated and approved for the treatment of malignant diseases, including hematologic diseases and solid tumors. Although targeted therapies such as EGFR inhibitors have shown therapeutic efficacy in HNSCC, there are still some patients who cannot benefit from it. New therapeutic targets and strategies should be further explored.

Case presentation

An 83-year-old woman was referred to our hospital with left lower gingival mass for more than 1 month in June 2021. Pathologic diagnosis is sarcomatoid squamous cell carcinoma. Due to the large tumor at the time of diagnosis and poor quality of life, the patient was intolerant to surgery, so she was given radiotherapy (RT) combined with concurrent chemotherapy (CT) with albumin bound paclitaxel. According to next-generation sequencing (NGS) results (MET exon 14 skipping mutation-positive), she was treated with crizotinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor that targets MET. Through the comprehensive treatment, the patient’s condition promptly improved, clinical complete remission (CR) was achieved in 2 months, and 9-month progression-free survival (PFS) was obtained. She finally died from non-cancer-related diseases.

Conclusion

Here we report the treatment of a GSSCC patient with MET mutation, who responded to crizotinib promptly and positively. It provides a new reference for understanding MET abnormalities in GSSCC and offers a new idea for the targeted treatment of gingival carcinoma.

Optical diagnostic imaging and therapy for thyroid cancer

Thyroid cancer, as one of the most common endocrine cancers, has seen a surge in incidence in recent years. This is most likely due to the lack of specificity and accuracy of its traditional diagnostic modalities, leading to the overdiagnosis of thyroid nodules. Although there are several treatment options available, they are limited to surgery and ¹³¹I radiation therapy that come with significant side effects and hence cannot meet the treatment needs of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma with very high malignancy. Optical imaging that utilizes optical absorption, refraction and scattering properties, not only observes the structure and function of cells, tissues, organs, or even the whole organism to assist in diagnosis, but can also be used to perform optical therapy to achieve targeted non-invasive and precise treatment of thyroid cancer. These applications of screening, diagnosis, and treatment, lend to optical imaging's promising potential within the realm of thyroid cancer surgical navigation. Over the past decade, research on optical imaging in the diagnosis and treatment of thyroid cancer has been growing year by year, but no comprehensive review on this topic has been published. Here, we review key advances in the application of optical imaging in the diagnosis and treatment of thyroid cancer and discuss the challenges and potential for clinical translation of this technology.