The Effect of Wnt Signaling on the Production of Cancer Promoting Protein

Overview

Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC) accounts for an annual 300,000 deaths worldwide. The proteins produced by this cancer allow it to continue through the cell cycle unchecked, replicate at an increased pace, and eventually metastasize throughout the body. It is crucial for future cancer treatments to target this specific process that allows the cancer to continue to survive, even after extensive treatment. The Wnt pathway, a ligand-receptor complex, allows cancerous cells to communicate amongst themselves and potentially crosstalk with other pathways such as Epidermal Growth Factor Receptors (EGFR). This would mean that the Wnt ligand could trigger multiple pathways, promoting the cancer further. Therefore, the purpose of this project was to observe and potentially confirm the relationship between Wnt signaling and the production of EGFR protein through collection of data on the amount of protein created from Wnt activated tumor cells versus control, non-activated tumor cells. HNSCC cells originated from a patient, ensuring faithful representation. Two cell lines were microscopically imaged and each had four treatments including a control, Wnt activated cells, and two potentially helpful drug treatments that might inhibit the Wnt pathway. ImageJ, a computer software, helped track what percentage EGFR took up in area. Results indicate Wnt activated cancer cells produced 220% more EGFR than the control group and the drug treated cells had a 57% drop in production compared to Wnt activation alone. Overall, the Wnt pathway is shown to be linked to EGFR protein production and its inhibition proves to be a promising treatment.