title: The Role of HPV in Head and Neck Cancer Stem Cell Formation and Tumorigenesis.
abstract: The cancer stem cell (CSC) theory proposes that a minority of tumor cells are capable of self-replication and tumorigenesis. It is these minority of cells that are responsible for cancer metastasis and recurrence in head and neck squamous cell cancers (HNSCC). Human papilloma virus (HPV)-related cancer of the oropharynx is becoming more prevalent, which makes understanding of the relationship between HPV and CSCs more important than ever. This relationship is critical because CSC behavior can be predicted based on cell surface markers, which makes them a suitable candidate for targeted therapy. New therapies are an exciting opportunity to advance past the stalled outcomes in HNSCC that have plagued patients and clinicians for several decades.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Southern California, 1450 San Pablo St, Suite 5100, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA. Mark.Swanson@med.usc.edu.
authors.forename: Mark S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Swanson
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Southern California, 1450 San Pablo St, Suite 5100, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA. Niels.Kokot@med.usc.edu.
authors.forename: Niels
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kokot
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Southern California, 1450 San Pablo St, Suite 5100, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA. Sinha@med.usc.edu.
authors.forename: Uttam K
authors.initials: UK
authors.lastname: Sinha
keywords: HPV; Nanog; Notch; Oct-4; cancer initiating cell; cancer stem cell; human papilloma virus