Expression Dynamics
of Metastasis-Associated Markers in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cell Lines CAL27
and HSC-3
Vardhan Nalla Reddy Harsha, Preetha K., Bonney L. James and Ranganadha Reddy A.
Res. J. Biotech.; Vol. 21(2); 81-86;
doi: https://doi.org/10.25303/212rjbt081086; (2026)
Abstract
Metastasis remains the major cause of mortality in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
(HNSCC), driven by complex molecular alterations regulating proliferation and invasion.
Building on prior bioinformatic predictions, this study experimentally validated
nine hub genes CDC45, MCM5, ASF1B, RFC4, E2F1, TK1, CHTF18, CENPM and CDCA3 implicated
in metastatic progression. Using quantitative real-time PCR, expression profiles
were compared between metastatic HSC-3 and non-metastatic CAL-27 HNSCC cell lines.
Five genes (MCM5, CDC45, E2F1, RFC4 and CENPH) were significantly upregulated in
HSC-3, exhibiting 2.3–6.6-fold increases (p < 0.01), while ASF1B, CHTF18, TK1 and
CDCA3 were downregulated.
The elevated expression of replication-associated genes underscores the role of
aberrant DNA synthesis and cell-cycle progression in promoting metastatic competence.
These results offer experimental validation of metastasis-related genes identified
through bioinformatic analysis, underscoring MCM5, CDC45, E2F1, RFC4 and CENPH as
promising prognostic indicators and potential therapeutic targets in HNSCC.
