The effects of interleukin 17 receptor C (IL-17RC) in oral squamous cell carcinoma

• Grant number: 25/00883-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate (Direct)
• Start date: July 01, 2025
• End date: June 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Dentistry
• Principal Investigator: Ricardo Della Coletta
• Grantee: Bruno Cesar da Costa
• Supervisor: Tuula Anneli Salo
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Odontologia de Piracicaba (FOP). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Helsinki, Finland
• Associated to the scholarship: 23/10632-6 - Characterizing prognostic significance and molecular mechanisms associated with interleukin 17F (IL-17F) and its receptor IL-17RC in oral squamous cell carcinoma, BP.DD

Abstract

Towards the precision medicine era, the absence of reliable biomarkers for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remains a significant challenge. Recent studies have linked interleukin 17F (IL-17F) predominantly to improved OSCC outcomes, but its main receptor, IL-17RC, has been far less explored. To investigate the prognostic value of IL-17RC, we evaluated the expression of IL-17RC in samples from the TCGA database (The Cancer Genome Atlas) and in two independent cohorts by immunohistochemistry, and the results revealed a great potential of this protein as diagnostic and prognostic marker. In order to continue expanding our knowledge about the role of this membrane receptor in oral tumorigenesis, the aim of this project is to investigate the impact of IL-17RC in oral cancer progression, therapy resistance, and tumor-immune system interactions. For this purpose, two OSCC cell lines (HSC-3 and SCC-25), selected for presenting high levels of IL-17RC expression, were subjected to a loss-of-function strategy. Functional assays, including viability assays in 2D and 3D culture, and the in vivo zebrafish model, will be applied to determine the impact of IL-17RC on modulation of response to chemotherapy, radiotherapy and targeted therapy. The zebrafish model will also be used to analyze tumor formation and metastasis. Furthermore, we will study the role of IL-17F/IL-17RC signaling in the crosstalk between cancer cells and immune cells using a microfluidic chip. With this study, we hope to uncover the role and underlying mechanisms of IL-17F and IL-17RC in OSCC, paving the way for their potential application as prognostic biomarkers and immunotherapeutic strategies in oral cancer.