Table_1_Regulation of epigenetic modifications in the head and neck tumour microenvironment.docx

Head and neck tumours are common malignancies that are associated with high mortality. The low rate of early diagnosis and the high rates of local recurrence and distant metastasis are the main reasons for treatment failure. Recent studies have established that the tumour microenvironment (TME) can affect the proliferation and metastasis of head and neck tumours via several mechanisms, including altered expressions of certain genes and cytokines. Increasing evidence has shown that epigenetic modifications, such as DNA methylation, histone modification, RNA modification, and non-coding RNAs, can regulate the head and neck TME and thereby influence tumour development. Epigenetic modifications can regulate the expression of different genes and subsequently alter the TME to affect the progression of head and neck tumours. In addition, the cell components in the TME are regulated by epigenetic modifications, which, in turn, affect the behaviour of head and neck tumour cells. In this review, we have discussed the functions of epigenetic modifications in the head and neck TME. We have further examined the roles of such modifications in the malignancy and metastasis of head and neck tumours.

头颈部肿瘤是一类高发的恶性肿瘤，且致死率较高。早期诊断率偏低、局部复发率与远处转移率偏高是导致治疗失败的主要原因。近期研究证实，肿瘤微环境（tumour microenvironment, TME）可通过多种机制影响头颈部肿瘤的增殖与转移，例如调控特定基因与细胞因子的表达异常。越来越多的证据表明，表观遗传修饰——包括DNA甲基化、组蛋白修饰、RNA修饰以及非编码RNA——可对头颈部肿瘤的肿瘤微环境进行调控，进而影响肿瘤的发生发展。表观遗传修饰可通过调控不同基因的表达，进而改变肿瘤微环境，最终影响头颈部肿瘤的进展。此外，肿瘤微环境中的细胞组分同样受表观遗传修饰调控，而这一过程又会进一步影响头颈部肿瘤细胞的生物学行为。本综述围绕表观遗传修饰在头颈部肿瘤微环境中的功能展开论述，并进一步探讨了此类修饰在头颈部肿瘤恶性进展与转移过程中的作用。