The Role of Arginine Metabolism in Oral Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Abstract

Early diagnosis and treatment do not prevent the high morbidity and poor prognosis of oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC). Earlier studies have shown that ARG1 signaling is deregulated in TSCC. Here, we investigated the complexity of ARG1 metabolism in this cancer subsite to appreciate the therapeutic potential of this potential biological vulnerability. Various functional studies show that ARG1 overexpression in oral cancer cells inhibits cell proliferation and invasion compared with controls. Further, RNA-sequencing revealed numerous differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and associated networks were dysregulated by ARG1 overexpression, including hypoxia-inducible factor (HIFα) signaling, the natural killer cell signaling pathway and interferon signaling. Our work provides a foundation for understanding the mechanism of action of disrupted arginine metabolism in oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma. This may impact the community for developing further therapeutic approaches.

Identification of novel prognostic indicators for oral squamous cell carcinoma based on proteomics and metabolomics

“…Recent studies confirmed a close link between OSCC and metabolites, which may provide new perspectives and new potential targets for the diagnosis and treatment of OSCC[ 10 , 11 ]. Tumor metabolism is associated with tumor cell proliferation, survival, and antitumor immunity in the tumor microenvironment (TME)[ 12 , 13 ].…”