Biological information and functional analysis reveal the role of discoidin domain receptor 1 in oral squamous cell carcinoma

Abstract

This study aimed to establish a framework for the role of discoidin domain receptor 1 (DDR1) in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) through biological data and functional analysis. The GSE31056 series of the Gene Expression Omnibus database and UALCAN website were used to assess DDR1 expression in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and OSCC. DDR1 RNA sequencing data for 260 HNSCC samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas were overlaid to evaluate its association with tumor progression and prognosis. To identify the function of DDR1 in OSCC, 38 patients with OSCC were followed for 8 years and immunohistochemical analysis, western blotting, Cell Counting Kit-8, and colony formation assays were conducted on OSCC cell lines to reveal DDR1 expression and function. DDR1 was overexpressed in HNSCC and OSCC tumor specimens and its expression correlated with overall survival and T-stage classification (P=.049, P=.0316). Furthermore, DDR1 was related to OSCC tumor growth because its expression increased with the T-stage level (P=.0071) but not N-stage level, histologic stage, or recurrence (P > .05). DDR1 was highly expressed in OSCC cell lines and promoted cell proliferation, which was repressed by nilotinib (P < .05). DDR1 has an oncogenic role in OSCC and might be a novel target for anti-OSCC therapy.