Gene Expression of IL-17 and IL-23 in Radiotherapy Induced Oral Mucositis

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Cancer patients have many side effects in their immune system as a result of anti-cancer treatments, such as radiation and chemotherapy. However, one of the most consistent and debilitating complications in patients undergoing head-neck radiation is Oral Mucositis. Oral Mucositis is characterized as the painful development of exposed ulceration on the oral mucosal tissue. Although it is well known that oral mucosa cells are significantly damaged during these therapeutic radiations, an effective treatment is yet to be discovered. Preliminary data indicates that the inflammation produced by tissue damage is connected to a particular interleukin known as IL-17. This investigation focuses on answering if IL-23 and IL-17, defensive cytokines located in mucosal tissues, are causing a dysregulation of inflammation in the oral cavity after head-neck radiation. Based on preliminary data, a reasonable hypothesis is as follows: Wild type mice are susceptible to damage associated with head-neck radiation due to an upregulation of IL-17 and IL-23. By determining the protein levels of IL-23 and IL-17 in tongue tissues exposed in radiation, data can be further analyzed, thereby resulting in a more complete understanding of the overall project.

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oral mucositis; IL-17; IL-23; radiation; tongue tissue; cancer; chemotherapy; oral cavity; immunology

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