Head & Neck Cancer

Most head and neck cancers are derived from the mucosal epithelium in the oral cavity, pharynx and larynx and are known collectively as head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). High-throughput analysis techniques became integral part of virtually all biomedical research fields. Ongoing efforts aim to integrate understanding of HNSCC omics research to identify predictive biomarkers and potential drug targets.

Genetic, epigenetic factors and post-translational modifications of key regulatory genes play a crucial role in tumor progression. The aberrantly expressed protein-coding genes and noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) may serve as biomarkers for early cancer detection.

• Retrieve and analyze differentially expressed genes (DEGs) from the Transcriptome Alterations in Cancer Omnibus (TACCO, http://tacco.life.nctu.edu.tw/) database.
• Retrieve the immunohistochemical (IHC) data from the Human Protein Atlas (HPA) database (HPA: http://www.proteinatlas.org/).
• Use Gene Set Cancer Analysis (GSCALite, http://bioinfo.life.hust.edu.cn/web/GSCALite/) to determine the genetic variations in dataset.
• Assess changes in DNA methylation associated with DEGs using the UALCAN (http://ualcan.path.uab.edu/) and DNA Methylation Interactive Visualization Database (DNMIVD, http://119.3.41.228/dnmivd/index/).
• Cross-validate analysis results using the Oncomine tool consisting of 264 independent datasets across 35 cancer types (https://www.oncomine.org/resource/login.html).
• Construct the protein–protein interaction network (PPIN) of the candidate genes using the Search Tool to Retrieve Interacting Genes (STRING, https://string-db.org).
• Perform gene enrichment analysis and KEGG pathways analysis using Gene Ontology Resource (GOR) and Database for Annotation Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID). Analyze DEGs in oncogenic pathways using GSCALite.
• Test the association of DEGs using the Cancer Hallmarks Analytics Tool (CHAT, http://chat.lionproject.net).

Our scientists have accumulated petabytes of genomics and other omics data, with a still increasing data growth rate. We focuse current fields of work on the basic research, like the analysis of cellular networks, characterization of tumors and other cells by whole genome or other omics analyses, especially the identification of a suitable disease target and its corresponding hit. We can also aid in the discovery of new cancer subgroups and biomarkers. Contact us for more service details.