The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) plays important roles in cell survival, growth, differentiation, and tumorigenesis. Dysregulation of the EGFR is a common mechanism in cancer progression especially in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Suppression of the EGFR-mediated signaling pathway is used in cancer treatment. Furthermore, reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced oxidative stress from mitochondrial dysfunction or NADPH oxidase (NOX) overactivation and ectopic expression of antioxidative enzymes were also indicated to be involved in EGFR-mediated tumor progression (proliferation, differentiation, migration, and invasion) and drug resistance (EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI)). The products of NOX, superoxide and hydrogen peroxide, are considered to be major types of ROS. ROS are not only toxic materials to cells but also signaling regulators of tumor progression. Oxidation of both the EGFR and downstream phosphatases by ROS enhances EGFR-mediated signaling and promotes tumor progression. This review primarily focuses on the recent literature with respect to the roles of the EGFR and ROS and correlations between ROS and the EGFR in tumor progression and EGFR TKI resistance. The evidence discussed in this article can serve as a basis for basic and clinical research to understand how to modulate ROS levels to control the development and drug resistance of cancers.

Osteosarcomas, the most common malignant bone tumors, show a potent capacity for local invasion and pulmonary metastasis. Resveratrol (RESV), a phytochemical, exhibits multiple tumor-suppressing activities and has been tested in clinical trials. However, the antitumor activities of RESV in osteosarcomas are not yet completely defined. In osteosarcoma cells, we found that RESV inhibited the migration/invasion in vitro and lung metastasis in vivo by suppressing matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2. We identified that RESV exhibited a transcriptional inhibitory effect on MMP-2 through reducing CREB-DNA-binding activity. Moreover, a microRNA (miR) analysis showed that miR-328 was predominantly upregulated after RESV treatment. Inhibition of miR-328 significantly relieved MMP-2 and motility suppression imposed by RESV treatment. Furthermore, ectopic miR-328 expression in highly invasive cells decreased MMP-2 expression and invasive abilities. Mechanistic investigations found that JNK and p38 MAPK signaling pathways were involved in RESV-regulated CREB-DNA-binding activity, miR328 expression, and cell motility. Clinical samples indicated inverse expression between MMP-2 and miR-328 in normal bone and osteosarcoma tissues. The inverse correlation of MMP-2 and miR-328 was also observed in tumor specimens, and MMP-2 expression was linked to tumor metastasis. Taken together, our results provide new insights into the role of RESV-induced molecular and epigenetic regulation in suppressing tumor metastasis.

Background: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), with high mortality rates, is one of the most diagnosed head and neck cancers. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the generation of cancer stem cells (CSCs) are two keys for therapy-resistance, relapse, and distant metastasis. Accumulating evidence indicates that aberrantly expressed cluster of differentiation (CD)47 is associated with cell-death evasion and metastasis; however, the role of CD47 in the generation of CSCs in OSCC is not clear. Methods: We investigated the functional roles of CD47 in OSCC cell lines SAS, TW2.6, HSC-3, and FaDu using the bioinformatics approach, immunoblotting, immunofluorescence staining, and assays for cellular migration, invasion, colony, and orosphere formation, as well as radiosensitivity. Results: We demonstrated increased expression of CD47 in OSCC patients was associated with an estimated poorly survival disadvantage (p = 0.0391) and positively correlated with the expression of pluripotency factors. Silencing CD47 significantly suppressed cell viability and orosphere formation, accompanied by a downregulated expression of CD133, SRY-Box transcription factor 2 (SOX2), octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (OCT4), and c-Myc. In addition, CD47-silenced OSCC cells showed reduced EMT, migration, and clonogenicity reflected by increased E-cadherin and decreased vimentin, Slug, Snail, and N-cadherin expression. Conclusion: Of therapeutic relevance, CD47 knockdown enhanced the anti-OSCC effect of radiotherapy. Collectively, we showed an increased CD47 expression promoted the generation of CSCs and malignant OSCC phenotypes. Silencing CD47, in combination with radiation, could provide an alternative and improved therapeutic efficacy for OSCC patients.