Mouse Models for Studying Oral Cancer: Impact in the Era of Cancer Immunotherapy

Abstract

Model systems for oral cancer research have progressed from tumor epithelial cell cultures to in vivo systems that mimic oral cancer genetics, pathological characteristics, and tumor-stroma interactions of oral cancer patients. In the era of cancer immunotherapy, it is imperative to use model systems to test oral cancer prevention and therapeutic interventions in the presence of an immune system and to discover mechanisms of stromal contributions to oral cancer carcinogenesis. Here, we review in vivo mouse model systems commonly used for studying oral cancer and discuss the impact these models are having in advancing basic mechanisms, chemoprevention, and therapeutic intervention of oral cancer while highlighting recent discoveries concerning the role of immune cells in oral cancer. Improvements to in vivo model systems that highly recapitulate human oral cancer hold the key to identifying features of oral cancer initiation, progression, and invasion as well as molecular and cellular targets for prevention, therapeutic response, and immunotherapy development.

Signaling pathways in cancer-associated fibroblasts and targeted therapy for cancer

“…Mouse models with well-characterized disease progression have been created to shed light on the origin of CAFs. 56 In a mouse model of breast cancer, three transcriptionally diverse subpopulations of CAFs were defined via various lineage sources. 57 In addition, the cues emanating from molecular phenotypes or secretion phenotypes might also determine the CAFs’ heterogeneity.…”

DMBA-Induced Oral Carcinoma in Syrian Hamster: Increased Carcinogenic Effect by Dexamethasone Coexposition

“…To understand the factors involved in the process of carcinogenesis, the ideal animal model would undergo a spontaneous cancerization as it occurs in human beings, but natural oral carcinoma cases are too low in laboratory animals [4]. Different animal models of OSCC have been proposed to study risk factors, to identify biomarkers, and to test preventive and curative treatments [3,5,6].…”

Head and Neck Cancer in the New Era of Precision Medicine

“…Of note, the preclinical testing of these therapies requires the continuous development of experimental immunocompetent models that closely resemble human disease. Of particular interest today is the development of animal models that enable accurate testing of new immunotherapies (Young et al 2018).…”