What is Squamous cell carcinoma?
Skin cancer is the most common form of all cancers. Of the various types of skin cancer, squamous cell carcinoma (or, SCC) is the second most common.
The major risk factor for SCC is UV radiation from the sun, which helps to explain its prevalence.
If detected early, SCC is fairly easy to treat. Signs of SCC include raised bumps in the skin, red/scaly patches of skin, and sores that heal properly. SCC, unlike other skin cancers, can spread to various parts of the body, complicating treatment.
Treatments vary, depending on whether the cancer stays local or spreads to other areas of the body.
Tpl2 and the MAPK Pathway
Projects in the DeCicco lab investigating SCC are related to the Tpl2 (tumor progression locus 2) gene. It was previously thought that Tpl2 functioned solely as an oncogene, until research in the DeCicco lab showed its role in SCC as a tumor suppressor, rather than an oncogene. This finding has had and continues to have interesting implications in studying SCC.
Tpl2 is primarily involved in regulating the MAPK pathway, a type of cell signaling pathway