Cysteine cathepsins and their inhibitors in head and neck cancer: an overview of research activities at the Institute of Oncology Ljubljana and ENT Department at the Clinical Center Ljubljana

Abstract

To determine the type and extent of the therapy needed for a successful treatment of cancer or to predict clinical outcome, an accurate risk stratification is required. The hypothesis on predictive and prognostic implication of individual cathepsins and their inhibitors originated in their involvement in pericellular proteolysis that participates in virtually all aspects of normal life of a cell and is involved also in the degradation of extracellular matrix barriers during the invasion and metastasizing of tumor cells. The role of cathepsins and their inhibitors in cancer may be categorized as follows: screening markers for diagnosis; predictive markers for lymph node metastasis; predictive markers for response to therapy and for recurrent disease; markers for prognosis. Although the investigations on clinical utility of cathepsins and their endogenous inhibitors in head and neck cancer are limited, the results warranted further evaluation. In the present review, we reported our experience and results gained during a decade of clinically oriented research and made comments on their predictive and prognostic value for routine clinical setting.