What is the Potential Interplay between Microbiome and Tumor Microenvironment in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinomas?

Li, Chen-Xi; Liu, Hui; Gong, Zhong-Cheng

doi:10.31557/APJCP.2022.23.7.2199

What is the Potential Interplay between Microbiome and Tumor Microenvironment in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinomas?

Document Type : Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Authors

¹ Surgical Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University. Urumqi 830054, China.

² School / Hospital of Stomatology, Xinjiang Medical University. Urumqi 830011, China.

³ Stomatological Research Institute of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Urumqi 830054, China.

⁴ Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Shanghai Stomatological Hospital & School of Stomatology, Fudan University. Shanghai 200003, China.

⁵ Shanghai Key Laboratory of Craniomaxillofacial Development and Diseases, Fudan University. Shanghai 200433, China.

10.31557/APJCP.2022.23.7.2199

Abstract

Oral cancer, with an around 50% mortality rate, is one of the most common malignancies world-wide. It is often detected in advanced or terminal stage and has a poor prognosis, although substantial progress in cancer management. Microbiome has become an increasingly recognized factor that may contribute to the cancerous development. Oral microbiological population comprising more than 700 bacterial species, varies since saliva and different habitats of oral cavity. A shift of composition of oral microbiome from usual condition to functional inflammation to pathological state has been discovered amongst patients with premalignant disorders and oral carcinoma, with evidence suggesting the tumor microenvironment (TME) could strongly exacerbate the influence of oral microorganisms. The complex interactions taking place in either cancer formation or progression have been evaluated in several publications, however given their results’ heterogeneity, a review is needed to correctly untangle the potential correlation in this group of pro-carcinogenesis. In this review, we briefly summarize our current knowledge of the role of oral microbiome, focusing on its potential crosstalk with TME in oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC) more precisely, and pave the way for manipulating oral microbiome to deal with OSCC in the future.

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