International Journal of Molecular Sciences

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Dear Colleagues,

Despite the development of diagnostic and therapeutic strategies in recent decades, oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) has a high morbidity and mortality (less than 50%), and represents a major challenge for scientists and clinicians. Although the oral cavity is readily accessible for clinical examination, in 2020, 377,713 people worldwide were diagnosed with lip and oral cancer, while 177,757 people died from it, with a trend toward increasing numbers of patients younger than 50 years of age. Preventive oral screening for high-risk patients and the detection, monitoring and treatment of oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMD) such as oral leukoplakia (OL) and oral erythroplakia (OE) are essential for the prevention of OSCC. New biomarkers for OPMD that indicate a high risk of malignant transformation need to be identified, and the approach to the treatment and follow-up of these patients needs to be modified, as does the development of drugs that reduce the progression of genetic changes in apparently healthy mucosa.

The shortcomings of histopathologic classification systems in predicting the malignant transformation of OPMD and the survival prognosis of patients with OSCC motivate us to explore the complex molecular pathways involved in the development of oral cavity cancer and its spread to regional lymph nodes and distant organs.

In this Special Issue, we encourage the publication of research and review articles addressing the various molecular mechanisms involved in the different steps of oral carcinogenesis that could serve as diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

Dr. Marko Tarle
Prof. Dr. Ivica Lukšić
Guest Editors

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 1241 KiB

Open AccessArticle

BIRC5 Gene Polymorphisms Are Associated with a Higher Stage of Local and Regional Disease in Oral and Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinomas

by Ivan Mumlek, Petar Ozretić, Maja Sabol, Matko Leović, Ljubica Glavaš-Obrovac, Dinko Leović and Vesna Musani

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(24), 17490; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms242417490 - 14 Dec 2023

Viewed by 998

Abstract

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) are the most common types of cancers in the head and neck region (HNSCC). Despite very aggressive treatment modalities, the five-year survival rate has not changed for decades and is still around 60%. The search for potential specific biomarkers of aggressiveness or outcome indicators could be of great benefit in improving the treatment of these patients. One of the potential biomarkers is survivin, the protein product of the BIRC5 gene. In this study, we investigated the occurrence of BIRC5 gene polymorphisms in 48 patients with OSCC and OPSCC compared with healthy controls. A total of 18 polymorphisms were found, 11 of which occurred in HNSCC with a minor allele frequency (MAF) of more than 5%. Five polymorphisms (rs3764383, rs9904341, rs2071214, rs2239680, rs2661694) were significantly associated with tumor size, tumor stage, and advanced regional disease, but had no impact on survival. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pathogenesis and Therapy of Oral Carcinogenesis 2.0)

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12 pages, 1967 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Developing New Diagnostic Tools Based on SERS Analysis of Filtered Salivary Samples for Oral Cancer Detection

by Rareș-Mario Borșa, Valentin Toma, Anca Onaciu, Cristian-Silviu Moldovan, Radu Mărginean, Diana Cenariu, Gabriela-Fabiola Știufiuc, Cristian-Mihail Dinu, Simion Bran, Horia-Octavian Opriș, Sergiu Văcăraș, Florin Onișor-Gligor, Dorin Sentea, Mihaela-Felicia Băciuț, Cristina-Adela Iuga and Rareș-Ionuț Știufiuc

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(15), 12125; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241512125 - 28 Jul 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1286

Abstract

Cancer still represents one of the biggest challenges in current medical practice. Among different types of cancer, oral cancer has a huge impact on patients due to its great visibility, which is more likely to create social stigma and increased anxiety. New early diagnose methods are still needed to improve treatment efficiency and patients’ life quality. Raman/SERS (Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy) spectroscopy has a unique and powerful potential for detecting specific molecules that can become priceless biomarkers in different pathologies, such as oral cancer. In this study, a batch of saliva samples obtained from a group of 17 patients with oro-maxillofacial pathologies compared with saliva samples from 18 healthy donors using the aforementioned methods were evaluated. At the same time, opiorphin, potassium thiocyanate and uric acid were evaluated as potential specific biomarkers for oro-maxillofacial pathologies using multivariate analysis. A careful examination of SERS spectra collected on saliva samples showed that the spectra are dominated by the vibrational bands of opiorphin, potassium thiocyanate and uric acid. Given the fact that all these small molecules are found in very small amounts, we filtrated all the samples to get rid of large molecules and to improve our analysis. By using solid plasmonic substrates, we were able to gain information about molecular concentration and geometry of interaction. On the other hand, the multivariate analysis of the salivary spectra contributed to developing a new detection method for oral cancer. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pathogenesis and Therapy of Oral Carcinogenesis 2.0)

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