Proliferation and Apoptosis Pathways and Factors in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

The facilitating effects of KRT80 on chemoresistance, lipogenesis, and invasion of esophageal cancer

Keratin 80 (KRT80) is a filament protein that makes up one of the major structural fibers of epithelial cells, and involved in cell differentiation and epithelial barrier integrity. Here, KRT80 mRNA expression was found to be higher in esophageal cancer than normal epithelium by RT-PCR and bioinformatics analysis (p < .05), opposite to KRT80 methylation (p < .05). There was a negative relationship between promoter methylation and expression level of KRT80 gene in esophageal cancer (p < .05). KRT80 mRNA expression was positively correlated with the differentiation, infiltration of immune cells, and poor prognosis of esophageal cancer (p < .05). KRT80 mRNA expression was positively linked to no infiltration of immune cells, the short survival time of esophageal cancers (p < .05). The differential genes of KRT80 mRNA were involved in fat digestion and metabolism, peptidase inhibitor, and intermediate filament, desosome, keratinocyte differentiation, epidermis development, keratinization, ECM regulator, complement cascade, metabolism of vitamins and co-factor (p < .05). KRT-80-related genes were classified into endocytosis, cell adhesion molecule binding, cadherin binding, cell-cell junction, cell leading edge, epidermal cell differentiation and development, T cell differentiation and receptor complex, plasma membrane receptor complex, external side of plasma membrane, metabolism of amino acids and catabolism of small molecules, and so forth (p < .05). KRT80 knockdown suppressed anti-apoptosis, anti-pyroptosis, migration, invasion, chemoresistance, and lipogenesis in esophageal cancer cells (p < .05), while ACC1 and ACLY overexpression reversed the inhibitory effects of KRT80 on lipogenesis and chemoresistance. These findings indicated that up-regulated expression of KRT80 might be involved in esophageal carcinogenesis and subsequent progression, aggravate aggressive phenotypes, and induced chemoresistance by lipid droplet assembly and ACC1- and ACLY-mediated lipogenesis.

Unveiling the nexus: Long non-coding RNAs and the PI3K/Akt pathway in oral squamous cell carcinoma

The PI3K/Akt pathway plays a critical role in the progression and treatment of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Recent research has uncovered the involvement of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in regulating this pathway, influencing OSCC cell proliferation, survival, and metastasis. This review explores the latest findings on how certain lncRNAs act as either cancer promoters or cancer inhibitors within the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Certain lncRNAs act as oncogenic or tumor-suppressive agents, making them potential diagnostic and prognostic markers. Targeting these lncRNAs may lead to novel therapeutic strategies. The evolving fields of precision medicine and artificial intelligence promise advancements in OSCC diagnosis and treatment, enabling more personalized and effective patient care.

Novel insights on oral squamous cell carcinoma management using long non-coding RNAs

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is one of the most prevalent forms of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) with a poor overall survival rate (about 50%), particularly in cases of metastasis. RNA-based cancer biomarkers are a relatively advanced concept, and non-coding RNAs currently have shown promising roles in the detection and treatment of various malignancies. This review underlines the function of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the OSCC and its subsequent clinical implications. LncRNAs, a class of non-coding RNAs, are larger than 200 nucleotides and resemble mRNA in numerous ways. However, unlike mRNA, lncRNA regulates multiple druggable and non-druggable signaling molecules through simultaneous interaction with DNA, RNA, proteins, or microRNAs depending on concentration and localization in cells. Upregulation of oncogenic lncRNAs and down-regulation of tumor suppressor lncRNAs are evident in OSCC tissues and body fluids such as blood and saliva indicating their potential as valuable biomarkers. Targeted inhibition of candidate oncogenic lncRNAs or over-expression of tumor suppressor lncRNAs showed potential therapeutic roles in in-vivo animal models. The types of lncRNAs that are expressed differentially in OSCC tissue and bodily fluids have been systematically documented with specificity and sensitivity. This review thoroughly discusses the biological functions of such lncRNAs in OSCC cell survival, proliferation, invasion, migration, metastasis, angiogenesis, metabolism, epigenetic modification, tumor immune microenvironment, and drug resistance. Subsequently, we addressed the diagnostic and therapeutic importance of lncRNAs in OSCC pre-clinical and clinical systems, providing details on ongoing research and outlining potential future directions for advancements in this field. In essence, this review could be a valuable resource by offering comprehensive and current insights into lncRNAs in OSCC for researchers in fundamental and clinical domains.

PANoptosis: a new insight for oral diseases

PANoptosis, a burgeoning area of research, is a unique type of programmed cell death typified by pyroptosis, apoptosis, and necroptosis, yet it defies singular classification by any one mode of death. The assembly and activation of PANoptosomes are pivotal processes in PANoptosis, with several PANoptosomes already identified. Linkages between PANoptosis and the pathophysiology of various systemic illnesses are established, with increasing recognition of its association with oral ailments. This paper aims to deepen understanding by conducting a comprehensive analysis of the molecular pathways driving PANoptosis and exploring its potential implications in oral diseases.

Comprehensive insights into oral squamous cell carcinoma: Diagnosis, pathogenesis, and therapeutic advances

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is considered the most common type of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) as it holds 90 % of HNSCC cases that arise from multiple locations in the oral cavity. The last three decades witnessed little progress in the diagnosis and treatment of OSCC the aggressive tumor. However, in-depth knowledge about OSCC's pathogenesis, staging & grading, hallmarks, and causative factors is a prime requirement in advanced diagnosis and treatment for OSCC patients. Therefore present review was intended to comprehend the OSCCs' prevalence, staging & grading, molecular pathogenesis including premalignant stages, various hallmarks, etiology, diagnostic methods, treatment (including FDA-approved drugs with the mechanism of action and side effects), and theranostic agents. The current review updates that for a better understanding of OSCC progress tumor-promoting inflammation, sustained proliferative signaling, and growth-suppressive signals/apoptosis capacity evasion are the three most important hallmarks to be considered. This review suggests that among all the etiology factors the consumption of tobacco is the major contributor to the high incidence rate of OSCC. In OSCC diagnosis biopsy is considered the gold standard, however, toluidine blue staining is the easiest and non-invasive method with high accuracy. Although there are various therapeutic agents available for cancer treatment, however, a few only are approved by the FDA specifically for OSCC treatment. The present review recommends that among all available OSCC treatments, the antibody-based CAR-NK is a promising therapeutic approach for future cancer treatment. Presently review also suggests that theranostics have boosted the advancement of cancer diagnosis and treatment, however, additional work is required to refine the role of theranostics in combination with different modalities in cancer treatment.

Identification of candidate target genes of oral squamous cell carcinoma using high-throughput RNA-Seq data and in silico studies of their interaction with naturally occurring bioactive compounds

Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC) accounts for more than 90% of all kinds of oral neoplasms that develop in the oral cavity. It is a type of malignancy that shows high morbidity and recurrence rate, but data on the disease's target genes and biomarkers is still insufficient. In this study, in silico studies have been performed to find out the novel target genes and their potential therapeutic inhibitors for the effective and efficient treatment of OSCC. The DESeq2 package of RStudio was used in the current investigation to screen and identify differentially expressed genes for OSCC. As a result of gene expression analysis, the top 10 novel genes were identified using the Cytohubba plugin of Cytoscape, and among them, the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (UBE2D1) was found to be upregulated and playing a significant role in the progression of human oral cancers. Following this, naturally occurring compounds were virtually evaluated and simulated against the discovered novel target as prospective drugs utilizing the Maestro, Schrodinger, and Gromacs software. In a simulated screening of naturally occurring potential inhibitors against the novel target UBE2D1, Epigallocatechin 3-gallate, Quercetin, Luteoline, Curcumin, and Baicalein were identified as potent inhibitors. Novel identified gene UBE2D1 has a significant role in the proliferation of human cancers through suppression of 'guardian of genome' p53 via ubiquitination dependent pathway. Therefore, the treatment of OSCC may benefit significantly from targeting this gene and its discovered naturally occurring inhibitors.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Pseudonormal Morphology of Salivary Gland Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma Cells Subverts the Antitumor Reactivity of Immune Cells: A Tumour-Cell-Based Initiation of Immune Evasion

INTRODUCTION

Salivary gland adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC), mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) occurs within the head and neck region. So far immune check point inhibitors failed in ACC. Gipie (CCDC88B) is a microtubule linker protein that activates immune cells. Gipie expressions found in head and neck cancer cells. We hypothesised that the presence of Gipie diminishes anti-tumour reactivity of immune cells towards head and neck cancer.

METHOD

To determine the effect of Gipie in oral and salivary gland cancer cells, Gipie was silenced in cancer cells in cancer-immune cells co-culture models and we performed 3D Z series confocal imaging, annexin V and immune activation flow cytometry, proteome profiler and discovery phase proteomics.

RESULTS

ACC cells morphed into pseudonormal morphology in immune co-culture models. Silencing Gipie in ACC cells showed significant increase of apoptotic cells and activated natural killer cells, and lowering of regulatory T cells. Other salivary and oral cancer cells showed negligible effect of Gipie. Proteome profiler and proteomics assay confirmed Gipie affecting proliferation mechanism and immune activated proteins in ACC immune co-culture models.

CONCLUSION

Overall, we conclude that the presence of Gipie has a confounding role during the ACC-immune cell interaction.

Marine-derived antimicrobial peptide piscidin-1 triggers extrinsic and intrinsic apoptosis in oral squamous cell carcinoma through reactive oxygen species production and inhibits angiogenesis

Cancer of the head and neck encompasses a wide range of cancers, including oral and oropharyngeal cancers. Oral cancer is often diagnosed at advanced stages and has a dismal prognosis. Piscidin-1, a marine antimicrobial peptide (AMP) containing approximately 22 amino acids, also exhibits significant anticancer properties. We investigated the possible anti-oral cancer effects of piscidin-1 and clarified the mechanisms underlying these effects. We treated the oral squamous cell carcinoma cell lines OC2 and SCC4 with piscidin-1. Cell viability and the expression of different hallmark apoptotic molecules, including reactive oxygen species (ROS), were tested using the appropriate MTT assay, flow cytometry and western blotting assays, and human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) wound healing, migration, and tube formation (angiogenesis) assays. Piscidin-1 increases cleaved caspase 3 levels to induce apoptosis. Piscidin-1 also increases ROS levels and intensifies oxidative stress in the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria, causing mitochondrial dysfunction. Additionally, it decreases the oxygen consumption rates and activity of mitochondrial complexes I-V. As expected, the antioxidants MitoTEMPOL and N-acetylcysteine reduce piscidin-1-induced ROS generation and intracellular calcium accumulation. Piscidin-1 also inhibits matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2/-9 expression in HUVECs, affecting migration and tube formation angiogenesis. We demonstrated that piscidin-1 can promote apoptosis via both intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic pathways and findings indicate that piscidin-1 has anti-proliferative and anti-angiogenic properties in oral cancer treatment. Our study on piscidin-1 thus provides a basis for future translational anti-oral cancer drug research and a new theoretical approach for anti-oral cancer clinical research.

Altered expression of GLS2 indicates a poor prognosis and correlates with clinicopathological features of oral squamous cell carcinoma

Glutamine metabolism, governed by enzymes including glutaminase (GLS1 and GLS2), has a pivotal role in cancer progression. The objective of this study was to determine whether GLS2 transcription levels are associated with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) when compared to matched adjacent normal tissues. Primary tumour and adjacent normal tissues were collected from 51 OSCC patients, and GLS2 mRNA expression analysis was conducted using real-time qPCR. Additionally, The Cancer Genome Atlas-Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (TCGA-HNSCC) dataset was utilized to examine GLS2 expression in relation to clinicopathological features, the prognosis, and tumour immune cell infiltration. A significantly reduced expression of GLS2 mRNA was found in the OSCC tissues when compared to the matched adjacent normal tissue samples (P < 0.001), which aligned with the results from the TCGA-HNSCC dataset and immunohistochemistry. Moreover, GLS2 mRNA expression was associated with clinicopathological features including tumour stage, grade, and human papillomavirus status (all P < 0.05), predicted a poorer prognosis (P = 0.024), and was correlated with tumour immune cell infiltration (all P < 0.05) in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Functional pathway analysis indicated its involvement in cell proliferation and metabolic cycles. GLS2 dysregulation is linked to oral cancer, suggesting its potential as a predictive prognostic marker for OSCC. Furthermore, targeting glutaminases via GLS2 may represent a promising therapeutic strategy for OSCC treatment.

Competing endogenous RNAs in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: a review

Our understanding of RNA biology has evolved with recent advances in research from it being a non-functional product to molecules of the genome with specific regulatory functions. Competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA), which has gained prominence over time as an essential part of post-transcriptional regulatory mechanism, is one such example. The ceRNA biology hypothesis states that coding RNA and non-coding RNA co-regulate each other using microRNA (miRNA) response elements. The ceRNA components include long non-coding RNAs, pseudogene and circular RNAs that exert their effect by interacting with miRNA and regulate the expression level of its target genes. Emerging evidence has revealed that the dysregulation of the ceRNA network is attributed to the pathogenesis of various cancers, including the head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). This is the most prevalent cancer developed from the mucosal epithelium in the lip, oral cavity, larynx and pharynx. Although many efforts have been made to comprehend the cause and subsequent treatment of HNSCC, the morbidity and mortality rate remains high. Hence, there is an urgent need to understand the holistic progression of HNSCC, mediated by ceRNA, that can have immense relevance in identifying novel biomarkers with a defined therapeutic intervention. In this review, we have made an effort to highlight the ceRNA biology hypothesis with a focus on its involvement in the progression of HNSCC. For the identification of such ceRNAs, we have additionally highlighted a number of databases and tools.

Anti-Cancer Activities of Nano Amorphous Calcium Phosphates toward Premalignant and Oral Cancer Cells

Despite advancements in treatment, the squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) patient survival rate remains stagnant. Conventional therapies have limited effectiveness, necessitating novel agents. Our study aims to synthesize and characterize amorphous calcium phosphate nanoparticles (nACPs), assess their potential cytotoxic effects on premalignant and malignant OSCC cells, and investigate possible mechanisms of action. The morphological features of nACP were investigated by field emission scanning coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and particle size distribution (PSD). Then, we examined the effect of nACPs on nanoparticle uptake, cell adhesion, viability, invasion ability, cell cycle, and gene expression. nACP uptake was dose-dependent, induced limited selectivity in cytotoxicity between healthy and malignant cells, and affected cellular adhesion and invasion. Early apoptosis was the predominant type of cell death. The nACP effect on viability was verified by alterations in the genes associated with apoptosis and proliferation. A high concentration of nACP was shown to arrest the cell cycle progression in the G0/G1 phase of both malignant and premalignant cells. This type of nACP justifies the development of a strategy for its potential use as an anti-cancer agent and/or anti-cancer active carrier for various drugs in oral cancer treatments.

Coupling Kinesin Spindle Protein and Aurora B Inhibition with Apoptosis Induction Enhances Oral Cancer Cell Killing

Many proteins regulating mitosis have emerged as targets for cancer therapy, including the kinesin spindle protein (KSP) and Aurora kinase B (AurB). KSP is crucial for proper spindle pole separation during mitosis, while AurB plays roles in chromosome segregation and cytokinesis. Agents targeting KSP and AurB selectively affect dividing cells and have shown significant activity in vitro. However, these drugs, despite advancing to clinical trials, often yield unsatisfactory outcomes as monotherapy, likely due to variable responses driven by cyclin B degradation and apoptosis signal accumulation networks. Accumulated data suggest that combining emerging antimitotics with various cytostatic drugs can enhance tumor-killing effects compared to monotherapy. Here, we investigated the impact of inhibiting anti-apoptotic signals with the BH3-mimetic Navitoclax in oral cancer cells treated with the selective KSP inhibitor, Ispinesib, or AurB inhibitor, Barasertib, aiming to potentiate cell death. The combination of BH3-mimetics with both KSP and AurB inhibitors synergistically induced substantial cell death, primarily through apoptosis. A mechanistic analysis underlying this synergistic activity, undertaken by live-cell imaging, is presented. Our data underscore the importance of combining BH3-mimetics with antimitotics in clinical trials to maximize their effectiveness.

Panoramic analysis of cell death patterns reveals prognostic and immune profiles of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) has been characterized by a low therapeutic response and poor prognosis. Currently, there are no reliable predictive models for HNSCC progression and therapeutic efficacy. This study explores the role of diverse patterns of cell death in tumor development, positing them as predictive factors of HNSCC prognosis. We utilized bulk transcriptome and single-cell transcriptome, align with clinical information from TCGA and GEO database, to analyze genes associated with 15 types of cell death and construct a cell death index (CDI) signature. The associations of CDI with tumor-infiltrating immune cells and immunotherapy-related biomarkers were also evaluated using various algorithms. The CDI signature emerged as a robust prognosis biomarker that could identify patients who can benefit potentially from immunotherapy, thus improving diagnostic accuracy and optimizing clinical decisions in HNSCC management. Notably, we discovered that CAAP1 deficiency not only induced apoptosis but also enhanced anti-tumor immunity, suggesting its potential as a target for clinical drug development.

The promoting effects of Grin2d expression in tumorigenesis and the aggressiveness of esophageal cancer

Grin2d is an ionotropic NMDA receptor, a subunit of glutamate-dependent, and a facilitator of cellular calcium influx in neuronal tissue. In this study, we found that Grin2d expression was higher in esophageal cancer than in normal mucosa at both the mRNA and protein level using RT-PCR, bioinformatics analysis, and western blotting (p<0.05). Grin2d mRNA expression was positively correlated with old age, white race, heavy weight, distal location, adenocarcinoma, cancer with Barrett's lesion, or high-grade columnar dysplasia (p<0.05). The differential genes associated with Grin2d mRNA were involved in fat digestion and absorption, cholesterol metabolism, lipid transfer, lipoproteins, synaptic membranes, and ABC transporters (p<0.05). The Grin2d-related genes were classified into the following categories: metabolism of glycerolipids, galactose, and O-glycan, cell adhesion binding, actin binding, cadherin binding, the Hippo signaling pathway, cell-cell junctions, desmosomes, DNA-transcription activator binding, and skin development and differentiation (p<0.05). Grin2d immunoreactivity was positively correlated with distal metastasis and unfavorable overall survival in esophageal cancer (p<0.05). Grin2d overexpression promoted proliferation, migration, and invasion in esophageal cancer cells but blocked apoptosis (p<0.05) and increased the expression of PI3K, Akt and p-mTOR. Grin2d knockout caused the opposite effects. These findings indicated that upregulated Grin2d expression played an important role in esophageal carcinogenesis via the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway and might be a biological marker for aggressive tumor behavior and poor prognosis. Its silencing might represent a targeted therapy approach against esophageal cancer.

Prognostic value of long noncoding RNA LINC00924 in lung adenocarcinoma and its regulatory effect on tumor progression

PURPOSE

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been used in the study of tumor biomarkers in recent years. However, the prognostic role of lncRNA LINC00924 (LINC00924) in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) has not yet been concluded. Therefore, this study investigates the prognostic value of LINC00924 in LUAD and its regulatory effect on tumor progression.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The LUAD tissues and adjacent normal tissues of 128 subjects were extracted, and the expressions of LINC00924 and miR-196a-5p in tissues and cells were detected by RT-qPCR. The prognostic value of LINC00924 in LUAD patients was obtained by Kaplan-Meier analysis and multivariate Cox regression test. The cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and Transwell assay were used to detect the effect of overexpression LINC00924 on LUAD cells.

RESULTS

In LUAD tissues and cells, LINC00924 expression was down-regulated and miR-196a-5p expression was up-regulated compared with the normal control group. High expression of LINC00924 inhibited the proliferation level, migration ability and invasion situation of LUAD cells, which was more conducive to the survival and prognosis of LUAD patients. Bioinformatics studies indicated that overexpression of LINC00924 inhibited the development of LUAD by targeting miR-196a-5p, while miR-196a-5p mimic effectively weakened the inhibition.

CONCLUSION

LINC00924 sponges of miR-196a-5p may be considered as a potential prognostic biomarker for LUAD.

Identification of ZIC2 as a Potential Biomarker Linked with the Clinical Progression and Immune Infiltration of Oral Cancer: A Multicenter Study

Aim

To investigate the specific expression profile, clinicopathological significance and mechanism of Zic family member 2 (ZIC2) in oral cancer were unclear. Patients and Methods. We explored the expression pattern and clinicopathological significance of ZIC2 in oral cancer through performing in-house tissue microarray and integrated analysis global RNA-seq and microarrays containing large samples. The molecular basis of ZIC2 in oral cancer was further investigated in the aspects of transcription network and immune correlations. We also performed in vitro experiments and calculated drug sensitivity of oral cancer with different ZIC2 expression levels in response to hundreds of compounds.

Results

All data unanimously proved the significant overexpression of ZIC2 in oral cancer. The upregulation of ZIC2 was remarkably associated with the malignant clinical progression of oral cancer. ZIC2 was predicted to be targeted by miRNAs such as miR-3140, miR-4999, and miR-1322. The infiltration level of CD8+ T and central memory cells was positively related to the overexpression of ZIC2. Oral cancer patients with higher ZIC2 expression showed higher drug sensitivity to two compounds including AZD8186 and ERK_2240.

Conclusions

We demonstrated the upregulation of ZIC2 in oral cancer and its promoting effect on the clinical advancement of oral cancer. The potential clinical value of ZIC2 in oral cancer deserves attention.

KRT80 expression works as a biomarker and a target for differentiation in gastric cancer

Keratin 80 (KRT80) is a filament protein that participates in cell differentiation and the integrity of the epithelial barrier. Here, KRT80 expression was higher in gastric cancer compared with normal mucosa at both mRNA and protein levels by bioinformatic analysis, qRT-PCR and Western blot (p<0.05), however, the methylation of KRT80 was lower than in normal mucosa (p<0.05). There was a negative relationship between promoter methylation and expression level of KRT80 gene in gastric cancer (p<0.05). KRT80 mRNA and protein expression was positively correlated with the differentiation of gastric cancer (p<0.05), while KRT80 methylation was negatively associated with gastric cancer differentiation and p53 mutation (p<0.05). The expression of KRT80 mRNA was positively linked to the short survival time of gastric cancers (p<0.05). The differential genes of KRT80 mRNA were involved in ligand-receptor interaction, estrogen signal pathway, peptidase, filament and cytoskeleton, keratinocyte differentiation, vitamin D receptor, muscle contraction, and B cell-mediated immunity (p<0.05). KRT80-related genes were classified into cell adhesion and junction, cadherin binding, skin and epidermis development, and so forth (p<0.05). KRT80 knockdown suppressed proliferation, anti-apoptosis, anti-pyroptosis, migration, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition in gastric cancer cells (p<0.05). These findings indicated that up-regulated expression of KRT80 played a crucial part in gastric carcinogenesis, and might be considered as a biological marker for aggressive behaviors and poor prognosis. Its silencing might be used as an approach of target therapy for gastric cancer patients.

The promoting effects of GPR176 expression on proliferation, chemoresistance, lipogenesis and invasion of oesophageal cancer

PURPOSE

As a member of the G-protein-coupled receptor 1 family, the G-protein-coupled receptor 176 (GPR176) gene encodes a glycosylated protein made up of 515 amino acids. The current study was performed to evaluate the impact of GPR176 on the clinicopathology and prognosis of oesophageal cancer, as well as uncover its molecular mechanisms.

METHODS

Bioinformatics and clinical tissue samples were used to detect the expression and clinicopathological significance of GPR176 in oesophageal cancer. The expression, proliferation, migration and invasion, apoptosis and lipid droplet formation of GPR176 gene in oesophageal cancer were performed as phenotypic readouts.

RESULTS

Here, RT-PCR and bioinformatic analyses revealed that GPR176 mRNA expression was significantly higher in oesophageal cancer than in normal mucosa (p < 0.05). GPR176 mRNA expression was associated with low weight and BMI, low T stage, low N and clinicopathological stage, low histological grade and favourable clinical outcome of oesophageal cancer (p < 0.05). The differential genes of GPR176 mRNA were involved in protein digestion and absorption, extracellular matrix constituent, endoplasmic reticulum lumen, among others (p < 0.05). GPR176-related genes were classified as being involved in oxidoreductase activity, actin and myosin complexes, lipid localisation and transport, among others (p < 0.05). GPR176 knockdown suppressed proliferation, anti-apoptotic and anti-pyroptotic properties, migration, invasion, chemoresistance and lipid droplet formation in oesophageal cancer cells (p < 0.05), while ACC1 and ACLY overexpression reversed the inhibitory effects of GPR176 silencing on lipid droplet formation and chemoresistance.

CONCLUSION

These findings indicated that upregulated expression of GPR176 might be involved in oesophageal carcinogenesis and subsequent progression, aggressiveness, and induced chemoresistance by ACC1- and ACLY-mediated lipogenesis and lipid droplet assembly.

Oncogenic roles of GPR176 in breast cancer: a potential marker of aggressiveness and a potential target of gene therapy

BACKGROUND

Belonging to the G-protein coupled receptor 1 family, G protein-coupled receptor 176 (GPR176) is associated with the Gz/Gx G-protein subclass and is capable of decreasing cAMP production.

METHODS

GPR176 expression was detected by qRT-PCR, bioinformatics analysis, Western blot and immunohistochemistry, and compared with clinicopathological characteristics of breast cancer. GPR176-related genes and pathways were subjected to bioinformatic analysis. We also explored the effects of GPR176 on the phenotypes of breast cancer cells.

RESULTS

Lower expression of GPR176 mRNA was seen in breast cancer than in normal tissues, but the opposite pattern was found for its protein (p < 0.05). GPR176 mRNA was associated with female sex, low T staging, non-Her-2+ subtypes, non-mutant p53 status in breast cancer (p < 0.05). GPR176 methylation was negatively correlated with its mRNA level and T staging in breast cancer, and was higher in breast cancer than normal tissues (p < 0.05). GPR176 protein expression was positively correlated with older age, small tumor size, and non-luminal-B subtype of breast cancers (p < 0.05). The differential genes of GPR176 were involved in receptor-ligand interaction, RNA maturation, and so forth (p < 0.05). GPR176-related genes were categorized into cell mobility, membrane structure, and so on (p < 0.05). GPR176 knockdown weakened the proliferation, glucose catabolism, anti-apoptosis, anti-pyroptosis, migration, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of breast cancer cells.

CONCLUSION

These results indicate that GPR176 might be involved in the tumorigenesis and subsequent progression of breast cancer by deteriorating aggressive phenotypes. It might be utilized as a potential biomarker to indicate the aggressive behaviors and poor prognosis of breast cancer and a potential target of genetic therapy.

Evaluation of Paxillin Expression in Epithelial Dysplasia, Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Lichen Planus with and without Dysplasia, and Hyperkeratosis: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND

Paxillin is a cytoskeletal protein involved in the pathogenesis of several types of cancers. However, the roles of paxillin in epithelial dysplasia (ED), oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), oral lichen planus with dysplasia (OLPD), hyperkeratosis (HK), and oral lichen planus (OLP) have remained unnoticed in the literature. This study aimed to evaluate its attainable functions in the pathogenesis and malignant transformation of potentially malignant oral epithelium and benign lesions.

METHODS

In this retrospective cross-sectional study, paxillin expression was investigated in 99 tissue samples, including 18 cases of OSCC, 21 ED, 23 OLP, 21 OLPD, and 16 cases of HK. The tissue sections also underwent immunohistochemical paxillin staining using 3,3-diaminobenzidine (DAB) chromogen. The intensity, location, and percentage of staining were examined across all groups. Data were analyzed using the Shapiro-Wilk test, ANOVA, Pearson chi-square, Kruskal-Wallis, and Dunn's post hoc test.

RESULTS

The cytoplasmic percentage and intensity staining of Paxillin expression were evident in the central/suprabasal and basal/peripheral layers of all the obtained samples. The final staining score was significantly higher in OSCC and dysplasia compared to HK and OLP (p = 0.004). It was found that paxillin expression is associated with the grade of dysplastic samples (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The present study provides evidence that paxillin may be involved in the pathogenesis of OSCC and the development and progression of dysplastic tissue, since the paxillin expression was higher than that of HK and OLP.

Contributing Role of High Mobility Group Box 1 Signaling in Oral Cancer Development and Therapy

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most frequent type of oral cancer of multifactorial origin, characterized by histological and clinical manifestations. To date, there are no specific biomarkers or treatment modalities available to efficiently manage this neoplasia, demanding further research on the molecular background of OSCC pathology. Elucidation of signal transduction pathways and associated molecules with differential expression and function in OSCC are expected to enhance the future development of molecular targeted therapies. Among signaling proteins with a potential functional role in OSCC, the High Mobility Group Box 1 (HMGB1) protein has stimulated scientific interest due to frequent upregulation, and implication in the progression of many types of head and neck cancer types. HMGB1 is a nuclear nonhistone protein and an extracellularly secreted cytokine that can interact with several signaling molecules implicated in the pathogenic pathways of OSCC. Binding of HMGB1 to specific receptors on OSCC cells such as the receptor of AGE (RAGE) and the toll-like receptor (TLR) has been shown to initiate several intercellular signaling cascades that can promote OSCC growth, invasion, and metastasis, indicating a potential target for patient prognosis and therapeutic approaches. The purpose of this review is to explore the functional role and associated signaling of HMGB1 in OSCC in order to reveal potential therapeutic targeting options.

Microneedles: structure, classification, and application in oral cancer theranostics

Oral cancer is a malignant tumor that threatens the health of individuals on a global scale. Currently available clinical treatment methods, including surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, significantly impact the quality of life of patients with systemic side effects. In the treatment of oral cancer, local and efficient delivery of antineoplastic drugs or other substances (like photosensitizers) to improve the therapy effect is a potential way to optimize oral cancer treatments. As an emerging drug delivery system in recent years, microneedles (MNs) can be used for local drug delivery, offering the advantages of high efficiency, convenience, and noninvasiveness. This review briefly introduces the structures and characteristics of various types of MNs and summarizes MN preparation methods. An overview of the current research application of MNs in different cancer treatments is provided. Overall, MNs, as a means of transporting substances, demonstrate great potential in oral cancer treatments, and their promising future applications and perspectives of MNs are outlined in this review.

Metaproteomic Analysis of an Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Dataset Suggests Diagnostic Potential of the Mycobiome

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common head and neck malignancy, with an estimated 5-year survival rate of only 40-50%, largely due to late detection and diagnosis. Emerging evidence suggests that the human microbiome may be implicated in OSCC, with oral microbiome studies putatively identifying relevant bacterial species. As the impact of other microbial organisms, such as fungi and viruses, has largely been neglected, a bioinformatic approach utilizing the Trans-Proteomic Pipeline (TPP) and the R statistical programming language was implemented here to investigate not only bacteria, but also viruses and fungi in the context of a publicly available, OSCC, mass spectrometry (MS) dataset. Overall viral, bacterial, and fungal composition was inferred in control and OSCC patient tissue from protein data, with a range of proteins observed to be differentially enriched between healthy and OSCC conditions, of which the fungal protein profile presented as the best potential discriminator of OSCC within the analysed dataset. While the current project sheds new light on the fungal and viral spheres of the oral microbiome in cancer in silico, further research will be required to validate these findings in an experimental setting.

MicroRNA-Based Markers of Oral Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Buccal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Systems Biology Approach

Objective

Oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC) and buccal squamous cell carcinoma (BSCC) are the first and second leading causes of oral cancer, respectively. OTSCC and BSCC are associated with poor prognosis in patients with oral cancer. Thus, we aimed to indicate signaling pathways, Gene Ontology terms, and prognostic markers mediating the malignant transformation of the normal oral tissue to OTSCC and BSCC.

Methods

The dataset GSE168227 was downloaded and reanalyzed from the GEO database. Orthogonal partial least square (OPLS) analysis identified common differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) in OTSCC and BSCC compared to their adjacent normal mucosa. Next, validated targets of DEMs were identified using the TarBase web server. With the use of the STRING database, a protein interaction map (PIM) was created. Using the Cytoscape program, hub genes and clusters within the PIM were shown. Next, gene-set enrichment analysis was carried out using the g:Profiler tool. Using the GEPIA2 web tool, analyses of gene expression and survival analysis were also performed.

Results

Two DEMs, including has-miR-136 and has-miR-377, were common in OTSCC and BSCC (p value <0.01; |Log2 FC| > 1). A total of 976 targets were indicated for common DEMs. PIM included 96 hubs, and the upregulation of EIF2S1, CAV1, RAN, ANXA5, CYCS, CFL1, MYC, HSP90AA1, PKM, and HSPA5 was significantly associated with a poor prognosis in the head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), while NTRK2, HNRNPH1, DDX17, and WDR82 overexpression was significantly linked to favorable prognosis in the patients with HNSCC. "Clathrin-mediated endocytosis" was considerably dysregulated in OTSCC and BSCC.

Conclusion

The present study suggests that has-miR-136 and has-miR-377 are underexpressed in OTSCC and BSCC than in normal oral mucosa. Moreover, EIF2S1, CAV1, RAN, ANXA5, CYCS, CFL1, MYC, HSP90AA1, PKM, HSPA5, NTRK2, HNRNPH1, DDX17, and WDR82 demonstrated prognostic markers in HNSCC. These findings may benefit the prognosis and management of individuals with OTSCC/BSCC. However, additional experimental verification is required.

Cellular Concentration of Survivin and Caspase 3 in Habitual Tobacco Chewers with and without Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma in South Indian Rural Population-A Case Control Study

Background: There is paucity of data on tissue levels of Survivin and Caspase 3 in south Indian tobacco chewers with oral Squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Oral cancer is a rapidly growing, highly prevalent head and neck malignancy; it involves a mucosal epithelium of a buccal cavity exposed to tobacco and other carcinogens. The basis of the survival of a tumor cell or transformed normal cell into a neoplastic cell is by the suppression of apoptosis regulation. Recently, researchers have focused on Survivin, an inhibitor of apoptosis family of proteins (IAP), involved in apoptosis regulation in cancer cells targeting the executioner Caspase 3. The current study aims to quantify the cellular levels of Survivin and Caspase 3 in tobacco chewers with OSCC and in habitual tobacco chewers without OSCC, in comparison to controls. Methods: A single centric case control study included 186 study subjects, categorized into: Group I (n = 63), habitual tobacco chewers with OSCC; Group 2 (n = 63), habitual tobacco chewers without OSCC; and Group 3 (n = 63), the controls. Resected tumor tissue from Group 1 and buccal cell samples from Groups 2 and 3 were collected into phosphate buffer saline (PBS) and assayed for Survivin and Caspase 3 levels by the ELISA sandwich method. Results: The mean ± SD of the Survivin protein in Group 1 was (1670.9 ± 796.21 pg/mL); in Group 2, it was (1096.02 ± 346.17 pg/mL); and in Group 3, it was (397.5 ± 96.1 pg/mL) with a significance of p < 0.001. Similarly, the level of Caspase 3 in Group 1 was (7.48 ± 2.67 ng/mL); in Group 2, it was (8.85 ± 2.41 ng/mL); and in Group 3, it was (2.27 ± 2.24 ng/mL) with a significance of p < 0.001. Conclusion: The progressive transformation of buccal cells to neoplastic cells is evident; in the case of OSCC, this indicates that the over-expression of Survivin compared to Caspase 3 confirms the suppression and dysregulation of apoptosis.

Pyroptosis-related gene-based prognostic signature for predicting the overall survival of oral squamous cell carcinoma patients

Purpose

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common oral cancer worldwide. Pyroptosis is a type of programmed cell death mediated by caspase, accompanied by an inflammatory response, and plays an important role in cancer progression. The purpose of this study was to explore and identify potential biomarkers and further elucidate the potential role of cell pyroptosis in OSCC.

Methods

We regarded the samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas database as a training dataset, screened differentially expressed genes (DEGs), and further screened out OSCC phenotypic characteristic genes by using weighted gene co-expression network analysis. The analysis of 42 known pyroptosis-related genes showed that Psuch genes were widely expressed, mutated, and methylated in OSCC samples.

Results

Through correlation analysis, we identified our OSCC pyroptosis-related DEGs. To further evaluate the prognostic value of pyroptosis-related regulators, we constructed a seven gene-based prognostic signature using Cox univariate analysis and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator Cox regression analysis. Meanwhile, we found that patients in the low-risk group had higher immune infiltration. Moreover, our results also indicated significant differences in sensitivity to cisplatin and gefitinib between the high-risk and low-risk groups.

Conclusion

Our study successfully constructed the pyroptosis-related prognostic signature, which might play a potential prediction role in OSCC prognosis. Our findings also suggested that pyroptosis-related regulators might be novel biomarkers for tumor diagnosis and treatment in OSCC.

Utility of serum homocysteine in oral squamous cell carcinoma patients as a potential biomarker

Background

In India, Oral cancer is one of the most common cancers. Despite advances in treatments, prognosis for oral cancer has remained poor with a five-year survival rate of 40-50%. Therefore, it is necessary to develop effective diagnostic methods for early diagnosis and better prognosis. Homocysteine (Hcy) has been reported as a 'tumour marker' in various cancers such as breast cancer, colorectal cancer, lung cancer, cervical cancer.

Aim

To study the levels of serum Hcy in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) patients.

Objectives

To assess the clinical utility of serum Hcy as a potential tumour marker for OSCC cases.

Methodology

Serum Hcy levels were studied and compared between patients with OSCC and healthy individuals.

Results

Serum Hcy levels were higher in patients having OSCC.

Conclusion

Serum Hcy levels could be utilized as a biological marker in the diagnosis and the prognosis of OSCC patients.

Intelligent Deep Learning Enabled Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Detection and Classification Using Biomedical Images

Oral cancer is one of the lethal diseases among the available malignant tumors globally, and it has become a challenging health issue in developing and low-to-middle income countries. The prognosis of oral cancer remains poor because over 50% of patients are recognized at advanced stages. Earlier detection and screening models for oral cancer are mainly based on experts' knowledge, and it necessitates an automated tool for oral cancer detection. The recent developments of computational intelligence (CI) and computer vision-based approaches help to accomplish enhanced performance in medical-image-related tasks. This article develops an intelligent deep learning enabled oral squamous cell carcinoma detection and classification (IDL-OSCDC) technique using biomedical images. The presented IDL-OSCDC model involves the recognition and classification of oral cancer on biomedical images. The proposed IDL-OSCDC model employs Gabor filtering (GF) as a preprocessing step to eliminate noise content. In addition, the NasNet model is exploited for the generation of high-level deep features from the input images. Moreover, an enhanced grasshopper optimization algorithm (EGOA)-based deep belief network (DBN) model is employed for oral cancer detection and classification. The hyperparameter tuning of the DBN model is performed using the EGOA algorithm which in turn boosts the classification outcomes. The experimentation outcomes of the IDL-OSCDC model using a benchmark biomedical imaging dataset highlighted its promising performance over the other methods with maximum accu y , prec n , reca l , and F score of 95%, 96.15%, 93.75%, and 94.67% correspondingly.

Naringenin: A potential flavonoid phytochemical for cancer therapy

Naringenin is an important phytochemical which belongs to the flavanone group of polyphenols, and is found mainly in citrus fruits like grapefruits and others such as tomatoes and cherries plus medicinal plants derived food. Available evidence demonstrates that naringenin, as herbal medicine, has important pharmacological properties, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, neuroprotective, hepatoprotective, and anti-cancer activities. Collected data from in vitro and in vivo studies show the inactivation of carcinogens after treatment with pure naringenin, naringenin-loaded nanoparticles, and also naringenin in combination with anti-cancer agents in various malignancies, such as colon cancer, lung neoplasms, breast cancer, leukemia and lymphoma, pancreatic cancer, prostate tumors, oral squamous cell carcinoma, liver cancer, brain tumors, skin cancer, cervical and ovarian cancer, bladder neoplasms, gastric cancer, and osteosarcoma. Naringenin inhibits cancer progression through multiple mechanisms, like apoptosis induction, cell cycle arrest, angiogenesis hindrance, and modification of various signaling pathways including Wnt/β-catenin, PI3K/Akt, NF-ĸB, and TGF-β pathways. In this review, we demonstrate that naringenin is a natural product with potential for the treatment of different types of cancer, whether it is used alone, in combination with other agents, or in the form of the naringenin-loaded nanocarrier, after proper technological encapsulation.