A study on epithelial-mesenchymal transition mediated by deltaNp63 in invasion and metastasis of oral squamous cell carcinoma

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In this study, we investigated the role of deltaNp63 in EMT during progression of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The expressions of deltaNp63 and epithelial markers was detected in the OSCC cells, but not in SQUU-B cells (high metastatic potential). Mesenchymal markers were strongly expressed in the SQUU-B cells. Knockdown of endogenous deltaNp63 in HSC-2 cells induced morphological changes to the spindle shape, decreased the expression of epithelial markers, increased the expression of mesenchymal markers, increased migration. By contrast, SQUU-B cells overexpressing deltaNp63 showed changed their morphology from stromal cell-like to epithelial cells. Immunohistochemical staining revealed decreased intensity of deltaNp63 was positively associated with metastases and poor prognosis in the OSCC patients. These results indicated that deltaNp63 downregulation in cancer cells induces a mesenchymal phenotype that is related to tumor progression of OSCC.