Identification of stemness-related glycosylation changes in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Abstract

<p><b>Background:</b> Altered glycosylation is a hallmark of cancer associated with therapy resistance and tumor behavior. In this study, we investigated the glycosylation profile of stemness-related proteins OCT4, CIP2A, MET, and LIMA1 in HNSCC tumors.</p><p><b>Methods:</b> Tumor, adjacent normal tissue, and blood samples of 25 patients were collected together with clinical details. After tissue processing, lectin-based glycovariant screens were performed.</p><p><b>Results:</b> Strong correlation between glycosylation profiles of all four stemness-related proteins was observed in tumor tissue, whereas glycosylation in tumor tissue, adjacent normal tissue, and serum was differential.</p><p><b>Conclusions:</b> A mannose- and galactose-rich glycosylation niche associated with stemness-related proteins was identified.</p>