Abstract
BACKGROUND: The association of chloride intracellular channel 2 (CLIC2) with tumors has remained unclear. However, recently, CLIC2 was found to exhibit antitumor properties in some tumors. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the clinical relevance of CLIC2 expression in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) to determine whether it exerts antitumor effects similar to those in brain tumors and to explore its potential as a novel therapeutic target in HNSCC. METHODS: We explored the significance of CLIC in HNSCC using cell biological analyses and investigated the gene expression profile of the CLIC2 forced-expressed HNSCC cell line. CLIC2 expression in human HNSCC was examined histopathologically. RESULTS: Forced expression of CLIC2 in HNSCC cells was accompanied by increased cell proliferation, resistance against natural killer cells, and expression of tumor-promoting genes in addition to increased tumorigenicity upon xenografting in a mouse model. CLIC2 expression was observed in several human cases of HNSCC. CONCLUSION: CLIC2 may act potentially as a novel risk factor for HNSCC.