Summary of the Necessity of the Project

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is one of the most common and lethal epithelial tumors. Due to late diagnosis, frequent recurrence, and resistance to conventional therapies, its prognosis remains poor. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying this malignancy is essential for identifying new therapeutic targets. Exosomes are small extracellular vesicles containing proteins, lipids, and various RNAs (including miRNAs) that play crucial roles in intercellular communication and in regulating tumor growth and therapy resistance. Exosomes derived from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSC-Exos), owing to their unique molecular content, have been shown to exert antitumor effects such as inhibiting metastasis, enhancing treatment sensitivity, and even acting through p53-dependent pathways. miR-139 (particularly miR-139-5p) is a tumor-suppressive microRNA whose expression is directly regulated by p53 and is involved in inhibiting cancer cell growth and invasion. However, data on the role of miR-139 in HNSCC are limited, and its potential association with BMSC-derived exosomes has not yet been investigated. Given that more than half of HNSCC cases harbor mutations or inactivation of p53, exploring the interplay among p53, miR-139, and exosomes is of particular importance. Therefore, the present study aims to investigate the effect of bone marrow–derived exosomes on the induction of miR-139 expression and to determine the role of p53 in this process in head and neck cancer cells. The outcomes of this research could provide a deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying tumor resistance and contribute to the development of targeted therapeutic approaches based on miRNA and exosome biology.

Principal Investigator: Dr. Gholamreza Tavousi Dana

Start year: 2025