LAT1 is associated with poor prognosis and radioresistance in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Kawasaki,Yohei; Suzuki,Hitomi; Miura,Masahito; Hatakeyama,Haruka; Suzuki,Shinsuke; Yamada,Takechiyo; Suzuki,Maya; Ito,Ayumi; Omori,Yasufumi

doi:10.3892/ol.2023.13757

LAT1 is associated with poor prognosis and radioresistance in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Authors:
- Yohei Kawasaki
- Hitomi Suzuki
- Masahito Miura
- Haruka Hatakeyama
- Shinsuke Suzuki
- Takechiyo Yamada
- Maya Suzuki
- Ayumi Ito
- Yasufumi Omori
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Affiliations: Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head‑and‑Neck Surgery, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine, Akita, Akita 010‑8543, Japan, Department of Molecular and Tumour Pathology, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine, Akita, Akita 010‑8543, Japan
Published online on: March 13, 2023 https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2023.13757
Article Number: 171
Copyright: © Kawasaki et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

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Abstract

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) has been identified as the sixth most common disease in the world, and its prognosis remains poor. The basic treatment of HNSCC includes a combination of chemoradiation and surgery. With the advent of immune checkpoint inhibitors, the prognosis has improved; however, the efficacy of checkpoint inhibitors is limited. L‑type amino acid transporter 1 (LAT1), an amino acid transporter, is highly expressed in a cancer‑specific manner. However, to the best of our knowledge, LAT1 expression in HNSCC has not been determined. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the role of LAT1 expression in HNSCC. A total of three HNSCC cell lines (Sa3, HSC2 and HSC4) were used to investigate the characteristics of LAT1‑positive cells, including their ability to form spheroids, and their invasion and migration. The present study also examined LAT1 by immunostaining of biopsy specimens from 174 patients diagnosed, treated and followed‑up at Akita University (Akita, Japan) between January 2010 and December 2019, and overall survival, progression‑free survival and multivariate analyses were performed. The results demonstrated that LAT1‑positive cells in HNSCC were an independent prognostic factor for overall survival and progression‑free survival, and were resistant to chemoradiation. Therefore, JPH203, a LAT1 inhibitor, may be effective in treating chemoradiotherapy‑resistant HNSCC and may improve the prognosis of patients with HNSCC.

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