Biological biomarkers of oral cancer

Abstract

The oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) 5 year survival rate of 41% has marginally improved in the last few years, with less than a 1% improvement per year from 2005 to 2017, with higher survival rates when detected at early stages. Based on histopathological grading of oral dysplasia, it is estimated that severe dysplasia has a malignant transformation rate of 7%–50%. Despite these numbers, oral dysplasia grading does not reliably predict its clinical behavior. Thus, more accurate markers predicting oral dysplasia progression to cancer would enable better targeting of these lesions for closer follow‐up, especially in the early stages of the disease. In this context, molecular biomarkers derived from genetics, proteins, and metabolites play key roles in clinical oncology. These molecular signatures can help predict the likelihood of OSCC development and/or progression and have the potential to detect the disease at an early stage and, support treatment decision‐making and predict treatment responsiveness. Also, identifying reliable biomarkers for OSCC detection that can be obtained non‐invasively would enhance management of OSCC. This review will discuss biomarkers for OSCC that have emerged from different biological areas, including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, immunomics, and microbiomics.

Advances in Small Molecular Agents against Oral Cancer

“…Considering the anti-cancer, anti-metastatic, and chemopreventive effects of natural polyphenols on oral cancer, several researchers investigated the mechanisms of action of these agents [29]. Kapoor et al [30] found that [6]-gingerol (1) can significantly inhibit the proliferation of oral cancer cells (OCCs) by inducing apoptosis and G2/M phase arrest. 6-Gingerol can also inhibit OCC migration and invasion by regulating N-cadherin and vimentin, inducing AMPK activation in Ca9-22 cells, and inhibiting the AKT/mTOR signalling pathway.…”

“…The antibiotic antimycin A (52) mediates the apoptosis of OCC CAL27 and Ca9-22 cells by increasing oxidative stress and ROS production [86]. Nitrated [6,6,6] tricycle (53)-derived compounds induce apoptosis and DNA damage in OCC by inducing oxidative stress [87]. Meanwhile, pseudolaric acid B (54) significantly inhibits the caspase-dependent apoptosis of HN22 cells [88].…”

“…If untreated, they may even lead can to systemic diseases [4,5]. Thus, many studies have focused on the aetiology, pathogenesis, and therapeutic regimens of oral cancer [6][7][8].…”

Mechanisms and Potential Clinical Implications of Oral Microbiome in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

“…Allan Radaic etc. made an exhaustive summary of potential oral microbiome-based biomarkers for OSCC [82]. It is possible to distinguish cancerous lesions from normal tissues and perform tumor staging by noninvasively detecting microbes [83].…”

Analysis of methylation-driven genes for predicting the prognosis of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma

“…Early diagnosis of OSCC is challenging due to its insidious onset, resulting in a significant proportion of patients being diagnosed at advanced stages ( 5 ). Despite advancements in diagnostic and treatment approaches over the past few decades, the five-year overall survival rate remains below 50 percent ( 6 ). Timely diagnosis of OSCC enables surgical resection and improves patient survival rates ( 7 ).…”