Impact of Secretion-Active Osteoblast-Specific Factor 2 in Promoting Progression and Metastasis of Head and Neck Cancer

Simple Summary Head and neck cancers (HNC) exhibit poor survival due to metastases. Our study identified osteoblast-specific factor 2 (OSF-2) as overexpressed in primary tumors, lymph node metastases, and the tumor microenvironment. High OSF-2 levels correlate with metastatic disease and reduced survival of HPV-negative HNC patients. OSF-2's active secretion signal seems to promote metastases by supporting the tumor microenvironment via the ss1 integrin-induced PI3K and Akt/PKB signaling pathway. We suggest OSF-2 as a potential biomarker and drug target to control (HPV-negative) HNC metastasis and disease management. Treatment success of head and neck cancer (HNC) is still hampered by tumor relapse due to metastases. Our study aimed to identify biomarkers by exploiting transcriptomics profiles of patient-matched metastases, primary tumors, and normal tissue mucosa as well as the TCGA HNC cohort data sets. Analyses identified osteoblast-specific factor 2 (OSF-2) as significantly overexpressed in lymph node metastases and primary tumors compared to normal tissue. High OSF-2 levels correlate with metastatic disease and reduced overall survival of predominantly HPV-negative HNC patients. No significant correlation was observed with tumor localization or therapy response. These findings were supported by the fact that OSF-2 expression was not elevated in cisplatin-resistant HNC cell lines. OSF-2 was strongly expressed in tumor-associated fibroblasts, suggesting a tumor microenvironment-promoting function. Molecular cloning and expression studies of OSF-2 variants from patients identified an evolutionary conserved bona fide protein secretion signal ((1)MIPFLPMFSLLLLLIVNPINA(21)). OSF-2 enhanced cell migration and cellular survival under stress conditions, which could be mimicked by the extracellular administration of recombinant protein. Here, OSF-2 executes its functions via ss1 integrin, resulting in the phosphorylation of PI3K and activation of the Akt/PKB signaling pathway. Collectively, we suggest OSF-2 as a potential prognostic biomarker and drug target, promoting metastases by supporting the tumor microenvironment and lymph node metastases survival rather than by enhancing primary tumor proliferation or therapy resistance.