Content area
Full Text
Introduction
In recent years, the incidence of head and neck tumors has increased year by year, of which approximately 90% are squamous cell carcinomas. Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSC) is the eighth most common cancer in the world and a common malignancy in elderly patients. Worldwide, approximately 880,000 new cases of HNSC and approximately 440,000 deaths were reported in 2020 [1]. The predominant sites of HNSC include the nasopharynx, sinuses, oropharynx, hypopharynx, larynx, and oral cavity [2]. The main treatment mode of HNSC is comprehensive treatment based on surgery supplemented by radiotherapy, chemotherapy and other means [3]. Although advances in technology and supportive care have improved the quality of life of HNSC patients, the overall prognosis remains poor due to postoperative local recurrence and distant metastasis [4, 5]. For recurrent/metastatic HNSC, the efficacy of traditional therapy is limited [6], and the median survival time is only 11.6 months [7]. With the development of molecular biology and the emergence of the concepts of targeted therapy and precision medicine, the molecular mechanism of HNSC development has received widespread attention, and the development of new therapeutic methods is urgent.
Cellular senescence is an irreversible cell cycle arrest that stops unwanted cell growth [8]. Although it has long been associated with aging, new research suggests that senescent cells that express markers such as p53 and p21 help in tissue healing by secreting the senescence-related secretory phenotype [9]. Coordinated senescence induction enhances tumor suppression, organ growth, and regeneration [10]. Senescent cell accumulation that is uncontrolled can be harmful to tissue healing [11]. Senescence has been shown to occur in vivo in several malignancies, halting tumor growth and progression [12]. Thus, it appears that senescence is a strong antitumor mechanism due to its antiproliferative properties. This tumor-suppressive effect of senescence has opened the way for therapies that promote senescence for cancer treatment. A procedure known as “prosenescence” therapy, which is a targeted therapy aimed at selectively enhancing senescence in cancer cells, might be employed in anticancer therapy regimens for cancer [13]. Senescent tumor cells are surrounded by stromal cells, nonsenescent (proliferating) tumor cells, and invading immune cells in the tumor microenvironment. T cells, natural killer (NK) cells, myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), and macrophages are the primary immune cell subsets...