title: Heterogeneity of epithelial and stromal cells of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas in ex vivo chemoresponse.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Valid prediction of the effectiveness of chemotherapeutic agents in individual head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is desirable and might be achieved using ex vivo assays.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three biopsies from each of 15 HNSCC were taken, minced and digested by collagenase. The digested HNSCC was added to serial dilutions of either cisplatin (CIS) or docetaxel (DTX), which were prepared under flavin-protecting conditions in ECM-coated microtiterplates. After 72-h incubation, cultures were methanol-fixed and Giemsa-stained. The cutoff concentration (COC; concentration completely suppressing colony formation) for epithelial cells (EC) and stromal cells (SC) was evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  12/15 HNSCC (80%) were evaluable. Despite significant correlation of COC of CIS in respect of colony formation of EC or SC, no significant differences in response of individual HNSCC specimens were found in the t test for paired samples (p > 0.16). The same applied to DTX. However, EC and SC showed heterogeneity in chemoresponses leading to COC variability of more than one titration step in 44.1% (CIS) and 20% of HNSCC (DTX). No significant correlation between the COC of both cell populations was found in HNSCC specimens.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The ex vivo chemoresponse of EC and SC of HNSCC must be analyzed separately.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Leipzig, Liebigstrasse 10-14, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Iris-Susanne
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Horn
authors.forename: Gunnar
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wichmann
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mozet
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dietz
authors.forename: Ralph
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dollner
authors.forename: Katrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tschöp
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Boehm
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000077143:Docetaxel; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D043823:Taxoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014410:Tumor Stem Cell Assay
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D043823:Taxoids; D000077143:Docetaxel; D002945:Cisplatin