EVALUATION OF THE EXPRESSION OF CANCER-TESTIS ANTIGENS IN HEAD AND NECK SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMAS.

• Grant number: 09/03326-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: October 01, 2009
• End date: March 31, 2011
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Andre Luiz Vettore de Oliveira
• Grantee: Fernando Tadeu Zamunér
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Ambientais, Químicas e Farmacêuticas (ICAQF). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus Diadema. Diadema , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a malignancy that exhibit high incidence and mortality rates. Although many strategies have been used in the treatment for the HNSCC, the overall survival rate is close to 50%. The development of local recurrences is the main reason for failure in treatment. Many evidences have shown that the impairment of the immune response may play an important role in the installation, progression and recurrence of HNSCC. Therefore, new therapeutic approaches based on immunotherapy may have a major impact in the treatment of these patients. Cancer/testis antigens (CTAs) are a group of peptides whose expression is restricted to tumor cells and germinative lines, consequently they are excellent candidates for anti-tumor vaccines. However, few studies have evaluated the CTAs expression in HNSCC. Thus, this study aims to evaluate the CTAs expression profile in cases of HNSCC. In his way, it will be possible to identify possible targets for the development of therapeutic vaccines in the future.