Adipose-derived stem cells promote the proliferation, migration, and invasion of oral squamous cell carcinoma cells by activating the Wnt/planar cell polarity signaling pathway.

ABSTRACT

Background: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common malignancy of the oral and maxillofacial region. Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) interact with a variety of malignant tumors to promote their proliferation and metastasis. Abnormalities in Wnt/planar cell polarity (PCP) signaling and overactivation of the signaling pathway are considered to be related to the occurrence and development of various malignant tumors. In order to determine whether ADSC can promote tumorigenesis in OSCC and its molecular mechanism, we conducted a series of studies. Methods: The effect of ADSCs on the occurrence and development of OSCC was studied in vivo and in vitro, and the molecular mechanism was investigated using Western blot and immunofluorescence (IHC) assays. Results: The results revealed that ADSCs could promote the proliferation, invasion, and migration of OSCC cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. With regard to the mechanism, the expression of collagen triple helix repeat-containing protein 1 (CTHRC1) and phospho-c-Jun (p-c-Jun) increased significantly with enhancement of the interaction between ADSCs and OSCC cells, indicating that the Wnt/PCP signaling pathway was overactivated. Conclusions: ADSCs promote the pathogenesis of OSCC by activating the Wnt/PCP signaling pathway, suggesting that proteins related to this pathway may be potential therapeutic targets for OSCC.