Impact of AIM2 on Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Development

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) constitutes 90% of head and neck cancers. HNSCC development is linked to chronic inflammation through mechanisms that are not fully understood. The cytosolic double-stranded DNA sensor Absent in Melanoma 2 (AIM2) is an inflammasome-forming protein that also has inflammasome-distinct roles in restricting tumorigenesis. We performed bulk RNA sequencing on tongue tissue from wild type (WT) and Aim2-/- mice treated with the carcinogen 4NQO in drinking water as a model of experimental HNSCC to uncover gene signatures regulated by AIM2 during HNSCC development. Overall design: Wild type and Aim2-/- mice were treate with 4NQO for 20 weeks. Mouse tongues were excised and processed to extrat bulk RNA for sequencing.