A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
HSV-1 Infection Modulates the Radioresponse of a HPV16-positive Head and Neck Cancer Cell Line
Authors: Turunen A, Hukkanen V, Kulmala J, Syrjanen S
Publisher: INT INST ANTICANCER RESEARCH
Publication year: 2016
Journal: Anticancer Research
Journal name in source: ANTICANCER RESEARCH
Journal acronym: ANTICANCER RES
Volume: 36
Issue: 2
First page : 565
Last page: 574
Number of pages: 10
ISSN: 0250-7005
eISSN: 1791-7530
Background: The combined effects of Human papillomavirus (HPV) and Herpes simplex type 1 (HSV-1) infections and their effects on cancer cell radioresistance are unexplored. Materials and Methods: An HPV16-positive hypopharyngeal carcinoma cell line (UD-SCC-2) was infected with wt-HSV-1 at low multiplicity of infection (MOI) and irradiated with 2 Gy at 24 h postinfection. Viability assays and quantitative reverse-transcriptase PCR for HPV16 E6, E7, nuclear factor kappa B1, B-cell CLL/lymphoma 2 (BCL2), and caspases 3, 8 and 9 at 24, and 72 h, as well as immunocytochemistry for BCL2, caspase 3, cyclin E, mouse double minute 2 homolog (MDM2), HSV-1 and Ki-67 were performed at 144 h postirradiation. Results: At 144 h, cell viability was significantly lowered by irradiation only in uninfected cells. Infection combined with irradiation resulted in increased expression of E6, E7, BCL2 and NF-kappa B1 at 144 h. Simultaneously, E6 and E7 were down-regulated in non-irradiated infected cells. Irradiation and infection with 0.00001 MOI separately up-regulated caspase 3 but infection with 0.0001 MOI halved its expression in irradiated cells. Conclusion: HSV-1 infection modulates radioresistance of HPV16-positive hypopharyngeal carcinoma cells.