Effects of celecoxib treatment over the AKT pathway in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND

Celecoxib, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug that selectively inhibits cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), has shown an important anticarcinogenic effect for the treatment of squamous cell carcinoma. The use of COX-2 inhibitors has effectively inhibited the growth of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC) cell lines, while a recent phase 1 trial demonstrated good response rate of cancer cells to this drug with minimal toxicity. Possible targets of celecoxib include proteins involved in cell proliferation and apoptosis control. Additionally, celecoxib antitumoral activity has been linked with a COX-2-independent event.

METHODS

To better understand which cellular mechanisms are targeted by celecoxib, its effects upon the Akt signaling pathway using two different HNSCC cell lines were analyzed through cell viability assay, immunofluorescence, and Western blotting.

RESULTS

The results showed decreased levels of Cyclin D1 and pAkt protein expression in vitro. The number of viable cells was also diminished after celecoxib treatment.

CONCLUSION

As Akt pathway seems to be a valuable target for the HNSCC therapy, the results presented herein confirm that celecoxib can be considered as an alternative adjuvant drug for HNSCC treatment.