Identification of Salivary miRNAs as Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarkers in Oral Tongue Carcinoma

Abstract

The tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) is the most feared head and neck cancer, often associated with tobacco and/or alcohol abuse or oncogenic-HPV infection. TSCCs are generally characterized by aggressive behavior, loco-regional recurrence and a higher rate of occult metastasis with worst prognosis. HPV+ve TSCCs often differ from tobacco users and have distinct genetical, molecular and clinical characteristics with better prognosis. It indicates that virus associated tongue tumors constitute an unique mechanism(s) of tumorigenesis, biological behaviors and treatment outcomes. In-spite of enormous advances in multi-modality treatment, therapy resistance leading to tumor recurrence and mortality remains to be a major challenge. It is suggested that the panel of 7 upregulated and 3 downregulated miRNAs can be considered as potential non-invasive diagnostic/prognostic or progressive biomarkers for an early detection of TSCC patients, and miR-184 and miR-155 could represent potential therapeutic targets for different sub-groups of TSCCs. It is also suggested that saliva of TSCC patients may serve as a most reliable and suitable non-invasive method for early detection and progression of TSCC patients who can be well treated and effectively managed. newline