To determine the prognostic value of GAL, GALR1 and GALR2 methylation status, their associations with various clinical characteristics and patient survival were assessed in HNSCC patient tumors (n = 142).
The impact of GALR2 expression on secretion of proangiogenic cytokines in multiple SCCHN cell lines was investigated by ELISA and in vitro angiogenesis assays.
In conclusion, GALR2 expression in the presence of galanin exerts antitumor effects via cell cycle arrest and apoptotic pathways, and reactivation of these pathways may have therapeutic benefits in HNSCC.
These results illustrate that transient GALR2 expression in the presence of galanin induces apoptosis via diverse pathways and serves as a platform for suicide gene therapy against HNSCC.