022— Examining p27 Expression and Quiescence in Clobetasol-Exposed UMSCV-4 Vulvar Cancer Cells

Vulvar cancer is rare, mostly afflicting women aged 60 and older [1]. The cancer is often preceded by a common vulvar rash, lichen sclerosus, that is usually treated with the ultra-potent corticosteroid, clobetasol propionate. This treatment may, in turn, be associated with vulvar carcinogenesis. Our previous findings suggest that clobetasol is causing UMSCV-4 vulvar carcinoma cells to enter a state of quiescence. Quiescence is temporary removal from the cell cycle and can be thought of as a dormant state in which cells are not actively dividing [2]. There is growing evidence suggesting that quiescence may play a role in allowing cancer cells to contribute to the recurrence of the cancer months or years after treatment [3]. There are many cell cycle inhibitors that may indicate quiescence, one of which is p27 [4]. Currently, our lab seeks to determine the expression levels of the cell cycle inhibitor, p27, in clobetasol-exposed UMSCV-4 vulvar cancer cells compared to untreated cells.