title: RNA interference in head and neck oncology.
abstract: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth leading cause of cancer worldwide. The treatment of choice in case of head and neck cancer is surgery, followed by chemo- or/and radiotherapy. A potentially effective instrument to improve the outcome of numerous diseases, including viral infections, diabetes and cancer, is RNA interference (RNAi). It has been demonstrated that small interfering RNA and microRNA molecules are strongly involved in the regulation of various different pathological processes in cancer development. RNAi has become a valuable research tool allowing a better understanding of the mechanisms regulating cancer pathogenesis. Considering those advantages over other current therapeutics (including specificity and high efficacy), RNAi appears to be a potentially useful tool in cancer treatment. The present review discusses the current knowledge about the possibility of using RNAi in HNSCC therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physics, Radiobiology Laboratory, Greater Poland Cancer Centre, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 61-866 Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sobecka
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physics, Radiobiology Laboratory, Greater Poland Cancer Centre, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 61-866 Poznan, Poland; Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Greater Poland Cancer Centre, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 61-866 Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: Wojciech
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Barczak
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physics, Radiobiology Laboratory, Greater Poland Cancer Centre, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 61-866 Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: Wiktoria Maria
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Suchorska
keywords: RNA interference; gene therapy; head and neck cancer; miRNA; siRNA