Wen-Shou Tan^1,#, Hsuan Kuo^2,#, Chang-Ge Jiang¹, Mei-Han Lu¹, Yi-He Lu¹, Yung-Li Wang¹, Ching-Shuen Wang¹, Thi Thuy Tien Vo³, I-Ta Lee^1,*

Oncology Research, Vol.34, No.1, 2026, DOI:10.32604/or.2025.070871 - 30 December 2025

Abstract This narrative review examines recent advances in salivary biomarkers for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), a major subtype of oral cancer with persistently low five-year survival rates due to delayed diagnosis. Saliva has emerged as a noninvasive diagnostic medium capable of reflecting both local tumor activity and systemic physiological changes. Various salivary biomarkers, including microRNAs, cytokines, proteins, metabolites, and exosomes, have been linked to oncogenic signaling pathways involved in tumor progression, immune modulation, and therapeutic resistance. Advances in quantitative polymerase chain reaction, mass spectrometry, and next-generation sequencing have enabled comprehensive biomarker profiling, while point-of-care detection More >

Li Yu^1,2,3, Xiaoyan Zhang^1,2, Yan Feng^1,4, Xinyue Liao^1,4, Tiejun Zhou⁵, Hang Si^1,4, Yun Feng^1,4, Decai Wang^6,*, Yongxian Lai^1,7,*

Oncology Research, Vol.33, No.8, pp. 2037-2053, 2025, DOI:10.32604/or.2025.064276 - 18 July 2025

Abstract Background: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common head and neck malignancy with a low five-year survival rate. ATP-binding cassette subfamily B member 5 (ABCB5) has been linked to tumorigenesis. However, its role in inducing OSCC remains unclear. Methods: Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), western blot, and immunocytochemistry (ICC) were performed to examine the level of ABCB5 in OSCC (CAL27 and HSC-3) and human oral keratinocyte (HOK). ABCB5 was knocked down in CAL27 cells using ABCB5-specific small interfering RNA (ABCB5 siRNA), and its contribution to migration, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT),… More >

Mei Huang, Zhenyu Zhang, Yuqi Luo, Yuqi Wu, Dan Pan, Yu Zhou^*, Xiaobo Luo, Yuchen Jiang^*

BIOCELL, Vol.49, No.6, pp. 961-980, 2025, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2025.062918 - 24 June 2025

Abstract This review explores the pivotal role of circadian rhythm regulators, particularly the PER genes, in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC). As key constituents of the biological clock, PERs exhibit a downregulated expression pattern in OSCC, and the expression levels of PERs in OSCC patients are correlated with a favorable prognosis. PERs impact the occurrence and development of OSCC through multiple pathways. In the regulation of cell proliferation, they can function not only through cell cycle regulation but also via metabolic pathways. For example, PER1 can interact with receptors for activated C kinase 1 (RACK1) and… More >

YONG RAO^1,3,4, XIAO CHEN^5,6, KAIYU LI^1,3,4, MINHAI NIE^1,3,4, XUQIAN LIU^2,3,4,*

Oncology Research, Vol.33, No.3, pp. 577-590, 2025, DOI:10.32604/or.2024.053119 - 28 February 2025

Abstract Decorin (DCN) is primarily found in the connective tissues of various parts of the body, including the lungs, kidneys, bone tissue, aorta, and tendons. It is an important component of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and belongs to the class I small leucine-rich proteoglycans family. DCN is increasingly attracting attention due to its significant role in tumors, fibrotic diseases, and the regulation of vascular formation. Moreover, its anti-tumor properties have positioned it as a promising biomarker in the fight against cancer. Numerous studies have confirmed that DCN can exert inhibitory effects in various solid tumors, particularly… More >

SUBHAYAN SUR^1,*, DIMPLE DAVRAY², SOUMYA BASU¹, SUPRIYA KHEUR³, JAYANTA KUMAR PAL¹, SHUCHI NAGAR², AVINASH SANAP³, BHIMAPPA M. RUDAGI³, SAMIR GUPTA⁴

Oncology Research, Vol.32, No.10, pp. 1589-1612, 2024, DOI:10.32604/or.2024.052120 - 18 September 2024

Abstract 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,… More >

XINRU FENG¹, LI XIAO^2,*

BIOCELL, Vol.48, No.5, pp. 793-801, 2024, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2024.048395 - 06 May 2024

Abstract Background: Galectin 2 (LGALS2) is a protein previously reported to serve as a mediator of disease progression in a range of cancers. The function of LGALS2 in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), however, has yet to be explored, prompting the present study to address this literature gap. Methods: Overall, 144 paired malignant tumor tissues and paracancerous OSCC patient samples were harvested and the LGALS2 expression levels were examined through qPCR and western immunoblotting. The LGALS2 coding sequence was introduced into the pcDNA3.0 vector, to enable the overexpression of this gene, while an LGALS2-specific shRNA and… More >

MENGYING MAO^1,2,3,#, TING DONG^1,2,3,#, YANJING LIANG^3,4, KEYONG YUAN^1,2,3, QIAOQIAO JIN^1,2,3, PENGFEI ZHANG^1,2,3, ZHENGWEI HUANG^1,2,3,*

BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.10, pp. 2187-2193, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.042357 - 08 November 2023

Abstract The oral microbiota is a vital part of the human microbiota that functions in various physiological processes and is highly relevant to cancers and other diseases. With the alterations of host immune competence, the homeostatic balance existing between the oral microbiota and host may be disturbed and result in the development of diseases. Numerous observations have suggested that small RNAs are key regulators of bacterial pathogenesis and bacteria-host interactions. Further, bacterial small RNAs are considered to be promising biomarkers for the development of novel, and efficacious therapies for oral dysbiosis. Mechanistic insights into how oral More > Graphic Abstract

FAYU SHAN¹, LANLAN LIANG¹, CHONG FENG¹, HONGBAO XU¹, ZIROU WANG¹, WEILI LIU¹, LINGLING PU¹, ZHAOLI CHEN¹, GANG CHEN^2,*, XINXING WANG^1,*

Oncology Research, Vol.31, No.4, pp. 481-493, 2023, DOI:10.32604/or.2023.029064 - 25 June 2023

Abstract Background: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a common malignant tumor. Recently, Laminin Gamma 2 (LAMC2) has been shown to be abnormally expressed in OSCC; however, how LAMC2 signaling contributes to the occurrence and development of OSCC and the role of autophagy in OSCC has not been fully explored. This study aimed to analyze the role and mechanism of LAMC2 signaling in OSCC and the involvement of autophagy in OSCC. Methods: To explore the mechanism by which LAMC2 is highly expressed in OSCC, we used small interfering RNA (siRNA) to knock down LAMC2 to further… More >

FRANCESCO PADUANO^1,2,*, EMANUELA ALTOMARE^2,3, BENEDETTA MARRELLI¹, VINCENZO DATTILO⁴, HAIZAL MOHD HUSSAINI⁵, PAUL ROY COOPER⁵, MARCO TATULLO⁶

BIOCELL, Vol.46, No.8, pp. 1827-1835, 2022, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2022.020462 - 22 April 2022

Abstract Oral Cancer (OC) is one of the most recurrent cancers in the head and neck squamous cancer (SCCHN) category. Recently, the genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have gained growing interest in the scientific community. GWAS have identified several pathways involved in the interactions among general risk factors and genomic variants affecting SCCHN. This systematic overview aims to critically evaluate the latest data reported within the scientific literature. The aim was to investigate the impact of genetic aspects on SCCHN onset and prognosis, involving other clinical and systemic co-factors. PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cancer Genetics Web databases More >

USAMA SHARIF AHMAD, KARTHIK SARAVANAN, HONG WAN^*

Oncology Research, Vol.29, No.6, pp. 377-391, 2021, DOI:10.32604/or.2022.026085 - 10 November 2022

Abstract The Yes-associated protein (YAP) is a downstream effector of the Hippo pathway and acts as a key transcription co-factor to regulate cell migration, proliferation, and survival. The Hippo pathway is evolutionarily conserved and controls tissue growth and organ size. Dysregulation and heterogeneity of this pathway are found in cancers, including oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), leading to overexpression of YAP and its regulated proliferation machinery. The activity of YAP is associated with its nuclear expression and is negatively regulated by the Hippo kinase-mediated phosphorylation resulting in an induction of its cytoplasmic translocation. This review focuses More >