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Review
. 2022 Jul 1;23(7):2199-2213.
doi: 10.31557/APJCP.2022.23.7.2199.

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

Chen-Xi Li  1   2   3 , Hui Liu  4   5 , Zhong-Cheng Gong  1   2   3
Affiliations
Review

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

Chen-Xi Li et al. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. .

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.

Keywords: Microbiome; Tumor Microenvironment; oral squamous cell carcinoma.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
There is Marked Diversity of Tumors’ Primary Location Arising in the Oral Cavity
Figure 2
Figure 2
Schematic Picture of the Classification of Microbiota-Associated Human Malignancies. Class A is defined by the involvement of the immune response; Class B requires direct microbial interactions with parenchymal cells; Class C covers distant effects from local interactions; and Class D shows the consequences of altered microbiome composition
Figure 3
Figure 3
Actions of Microorganism Contribute to the Pathogenesis of Oral Inflammation and Increase the Risk of OSCC
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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