Ubiquitin Carboxyl-Terminal Hydrolases and Human Malignancies: The Novel Prognostic and Therapeutic Implications for Head and Neck Cancer
- Front Oncol. 2021 Jan 29:10:592501. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2020.592501.
- 1. Department of Pathology, School of Biology & Basic Medical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
- 2. Section Experimental and Translational Head and Neck Oncology, Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
- 3. Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.
- 4. Research Group Molecular Mechanisms of Head and Neck Tumors, Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
Ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolases (UCHs), a subfamily of deubiquitinating Enzymes (DUBs), have been found in a variety of tumor entities and play distinct roles in the pathogenesis and development of various cancers including head and neck Cancer (HNC). HNC is a heterogeneous disease arising from the mucosal epithelia of the upper aerodigestive tract, including different anatomic sites, distinct histopathologic types, as well as human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive and negative subgroups. Despite advances in multi-disciplinary treatment for HNC, the long-term survival rate of patients with HNC remains low. Emerging evidence has revealed the members of UCHs are associated with the pathogenesis and clinical prognosis of HNC, which highlights the prognostic and therapeutic implications of UCHs for patients with HNC. In this review, we summarize the physiological and pathological functions of the UCHs family, which provides enlightenment of potential mechanisms of UCHs family in HNC pathogenesis and highlights the potential consideration of UCHs as attractive drug targets.