Evaluation of a novel mouse HPV positive oral squamous cell carcinoma model

The aim of this bilateral project is to evaluate a newly established HPV-positive model of oral squamous cell carcinoma (MOC1-HPV) in vitro and in vivo. Differences in radiosensitivity, metabolic activity and gene expression with respect to the parental oral squamous cell carcinoma model MOC1 will be determined. Additionally, the histological characteristics of the tumours in vivo and the tumour microenvironment will be evaluated. Furthermore, we will evaluate the response of these mouse tumour models to irradiation at the cellular and tumour level and compare it to human models of oral squamous cell carcinoma (human HPV positive (UPCI: SCC090) and negative (UM-SCC-6) tumor models). These human models represent valuable tumour models as they are derived from human tumours, but cannot be used for immunological studies as they only form tumours in immunodeficient mice. This limitation could be overcome by using our new mouse tumour model of HPV-positive oral squamous cell carcinoma.