title: Targeting Aurora kinase A suppresses the growth of human oral squamous cell carcinoma cells in vitro and in vivo.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Oncogene addiction has provided therapeutic opportunities in many human malignancies, but molecular targeted therapy for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is not yet available. In this study, we attempted to identify an appropriate target molecule for treatment of patients with OSCC.
  
  
  METHODS
  Microarray analysis was performed to determine the gene expression profiles in nine human OSCC cell lines and a non-neoplastic keratinocyte cell line. The expression levels of Aurora kinase A (AURKA) mRNA and protein in human OSCC cells and tissues were examined. We investigated the effect of small interfering RNAs specific for AURKA (siAURKAs) and MLN8237, an AURKA selective inhibitor on the growth of OSCC cells in vitro and in vivo. We also analyzed clinical significance in AURKA mRNA expression levels in OSCC.
  
  
  RESULTS
  AURKA was overexpressed in human OSCC cell lines and tissues. All siAURKAs almost completely suppressed the expression of AURKA protein, and significantly inhibited the growth of OSCC cells by 31-89%. MLN8237 also reduced the cellular growth rate by 38-74%. Both siAURKA and MLN8237 significantly reduced the size of subcutaneously xenografted OSCC tumors by 66% and 40%. Knockdown of AURKA expression and MLN8237 induced the growth inhibition of primary cultured cells established from patients' OSCC tumors. Furthermore, we found a significant association between AURKA mRNA expression levels and histological differentiation and lymph node metastasis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  AURKA plays a critical role in the growth of human OSCC cells and targeting AURKA may be a useful therapeutic strategy for OSCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, 454 Shitsukawa, Toon, Ehime 791-0295, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Koh-ichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakashiro
authors.forename: Kazuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Iwamoto
authors.forename: Norihiko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tokuzen
authors.forename: Yohei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: Rikimaru
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shirakawa
authors.forename: Ryota
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Oka
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Goda
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hamakawa
mesh_terms: D064096:Aurora Kinase A / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001483:Base Sequence; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology*; D002455:Cell Division; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D017931:DNA Primers; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology*; D034622:RNA Interference; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D046888:Tissue Array Analysis
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D064096:Aurora Kinase A