Figure 2

Network analysis using Ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA) software. This figure depicts the merged networks of proteins/molecules targeted for novel therapies in HNSCCs. These proteins/molecules form a complex network responsible for survival and proliferation of cancer cells. Therefore, targeting this complex network with single agents or monotherapy is often a failure as blocking a single pathway triggers alternate signaling cascades to activate downstream targets for survival. The bold lines show a direct association among different proteins/molecules while the dashed lines represent indirect regulation or association among these proteins. As shown, all members of Erb family are directly associated; hence dowregulating/blocking one of the members does not block downstream signaling via Ras/Raf/Mapk and PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway completely. Also, as shown in figure, these pathways are also being regulated by Insulin, TGF-β and KDR (VEGFR), PDGFR and HIF1α.