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Review
. 2022 Sep-Oct;28(5):346-353.
doi: 10.1097/PPO.0000000000000619.

c-Met Signaling as a Therapeutic Target in Head and Neck Cancer

Sara M Centuori, Julie E Bauman
Review

c-Met Signaling as a Therapeutic Target in Head and Neck Cancer

Sara M Centuori et al. Cancer J. 2022 Sep-Oct.

Abstract

Despite a dearth of activating driver mutations in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), aberrant activation of the oncogenes, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and c-Met is near-universal in human papillomavirus (HPV)-negative disease. Although EGFR activation drove the successful development of the anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody cetuximab in HNSCC, no c-Met-targeting therapy has gained regulatory approval. Inhibition of the c-Met pathway may subvert oncogenesis within the tumor-intrinsic compartment, blocking tumoral proliferation, invasion, migration, and metastasis, or the tumor-extrinsic compartment, modulating the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. This review discusses the rationale and current drug development strategies for targeting c-Met or its exclusive ligand hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) in HNSCC.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest and Source of Funding: The authors have disclosed that they have no significant relationships with, or financial interest in, any commercial companies pertaining to this article.

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MeSH terms