DNA methylation changes in oropharyngeal carcinoma

Charles University Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové Department of Biochemical Sciences Candidate: Natália Birknerová Supervisor: doc. Ing. Petra Matoušková, Ph.D. Title of diploma thesis: DNA methylation changes in oropharyngeal cancer Oropharyngeal carcinoma (OPC) is a type of head and neck cancer (HNC) that represents the seventh most common malignancy worldwide. The vast majority (more than 90%) of cases are squamous cell carcinomas (SCC). OPC develops in the tissue of the tongue, tonsils, soft palate, and pharynx. In addition to traditional risk factors, human papillomavirus (HPV) has been identified as an additional independent risk factor for the development of these tumors. Epigenetic alterations refer to heritable changes in gene expression that occur without changes in the underlying DNA sequence and can contribute to carcinogenesis. They include DNA methylation, histone modification and non-coding RNAs effecting gene expression. This study aimed to investigate methylation levels of selected tumor-suppressor genes in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) in comparison to normal oropharyngeal tissue. DNA methylation levels of selected tumor-suppressor genes were analyzed using Methylation- Specific Multiplex Ligation-dependent Probe Amplification (MS-MLPA) in metastatic tumor..