Abstract 3871: Methyl jasmonate reduces proliferation and migration of head and neck cancer cell lines

Abstract Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) arise from the mucosal lining of the oral and nasal cavities, pharynx, and larynx. The 2022 Global Cancer Statistics identify HNSCC as the sixth most common and seventh most lethal cancer globally, with 891, 453 new cases and 458, 107 fatalities. Over half of patients with HNSCC are diagnosed at an advanced stage, this has been associated with difficulties in early diagnosis, tumors with significant local invasion, and metastases in regional nodes. The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) estimates about 54, 000 new HNSCC cases and 11, 230 deaths in the United States during 2022, contributing to approximately 2% of all cancer deaths. The 5-year survival varies by stage at diagnosis, fluctuating from 86.3% for localized disease to 40.4% for metastatic disease. Current treatments for HNSCC include surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, which can lead to serious side effects and may offer limited efficacy. Researchers have recently focused on exploring new complementary therapies. This study aims to analyze how methyl jasmonate (MeJa) affects HNSCC cell lines A-253 and SCC9 with special emphasis on cell migration. Methyl jasmonate is a plant-derived hormone that has been proven to exhibit highly selective cytotoxicity toward cancer cells that may prove to be a potentially less toxic therapeutic agent. The half maximal effective concentration (EC50) for MeJa was determined employing the MTS Assay Colometric Kit (Abcam, USA) and following the manufacturer instructions. Wound healing assays using the scratch method were performed and image data was collected with an Olympus LC35 camera attached to an CKX53 microscope. All experiments were performed in triplicates and data was analyzed using GraphPad Prism. MeJa inhibited the proliferation of A-253 and SCC9 HNSCC cell lines in a dose-dependent manner with estimated IC50 values of 2.23µM and 2.05µM respectively. Furthermore, the wound healing assay showed that MeJa significantly decreased cell migration in the A-253 cell lines at 12 and 24 hours after treatment. Our findings support the potential effects of methyl jasmonate on cellular events such as cell proliferation and migration during tumor progression of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas. Citation Format: Jorge Viera-Vera, María M. Sánchez-Vázquez, Nicole J. Sariego-Hassan, Adianez Rosario-Vázquez, Magaly Martínez-Ferrer. Methyl jasmonate reduces proliferation and migration of head and neck cancer cell lines [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2025; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2025 Apr 25-30; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2025;85(8_Suppl_1):Abstract nr 3871.