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Review
. 2015 May;78(2):95-100.
doi: 10.1016/j.jdermsci.2015.02.007. Epub 2015 Feb 23.

Hedgehog signaling in basal cell carcinoma

Atsushi Otsuka  1 , Mitchell P Levesque  2 , Reinhard Dummer  2 , Kenji Kabashima  3
Affiliations
Review

Hedgehog signaling in basal cell carcinoma

Atsushi Otsuka et al. J Dermatol Sci. 2015 May.

Abstract

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC), the most common type of skin cancer, is occasionally aggressive with deep invasion, destruction of adjacent structures, recurrence and, on very rare occasions, regional and distant metastases. Mutations that occur in BCC in hedgehog (Hh) pathway genes primarily involve the genes encoding patched homolog (PTCH) and smoothened homolog (SMO). Several animal models have demonstrated the functional relevance of genetic alterations in the Hh pathway during tumorigenesis. Recently, targeted therapy has become available both commercially and in the context of human clinical trials. Interestingly, Hh pathway inhibitors not only suppress BCC progression but also promote acquired immune responses. Since immune responses are crucial for long-term tumor control, new clinical trials, such as those involving a combination of Hh inhibitors with immune modifiers, are needed to supplement standard methods of tumor control.

Keywords: Acquired immune responses; Basal cell carcinoma; Hedgehog.

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