Substance P and Neurokinin 1 Receptor in Chronic Inflammation and Cancer of the Head and Neck: A Review of the Literature
Metadata
Show full item recordEditorial
MDPI
Materia
Substance P NK1R Head and neck cancer Squamous cell carcinoma Chronic inflammation
Date
2021-12-30Referencia bibliográfica
Esteban, F... [et al.]. Substance P and Neurokinin 1 Receptor in Chronic Inflammation and Cancer of the Head and Neck: A Review of the Literature. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19, 375. [https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19010375]
Abstract
Head and neck cancer is a growing worldwide public health problem, accounting for
approximately 1,500,000 new cases and 500,000 deaths annually. Substance P (SP) is a peptide of
the tachykinin family, which has roles related to a large number of physiological mechanisms in
humans. The implications of SP in carcinogenesis have recently been reported through the stimulation
of the neurokinin 1 receptor (NK1R), or directly, through the effects derived from the constitutive
activation of NK1R. Consequently, SP/NK1R seems to play relevant roles in cancer, upregulating cell
proliferation, cell migration and chronic inflammation, among other oncogenic actions. Furthermore,
there is growing evidence pointing to a central role for SP in tumour progression, singularly so in
laryngeal and oral squamous cell carcinomas. The current narrative review of the literature focuses
on the relationship between the SP/NK1R system and chronic inflammation and cancer in the headand-
neck region. We described a role for SP/NK1R in the transition from chronic inflammation of the
head and neck mucosa, to preneoplastic and neoplastic transformation and progression.