Hoofd-hals Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patient-Derived Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts Undergo Senescence While Retaining Protumorigenic Properties After Ex Vivo Irradiation

The majority of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) receive radiation therapy (RT) as part of their treatment plan. Even though RT is highly effective in HNSCC, therapeutic efficacy for advanced HNSCC is relatively low; one-third of patients with HNSCC treated with RT experience locoregional relapse within 5 years after treatment. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are one of the most prominent cell types in the tumor microenvironment in advanced HNSCC and play a key role in therapy resistance.