Exosomes: Mediators of cellular communication in potentially malignant oral lesions and head and neck cancers.

Exosomes are a unique type of extracellular vesicles that contain a plethora of biological cargo such as miRNA, mRNA, long non-coding RNA, DNA, proteins and lipids. Exosomes serve as very effective means of intercellular communication. Due the presence of a lipid bilayer membrane, exosomes are resistant to degradation and are highly stable.

Molecular Signatures of Tumour and Its Microenvironment for Precise Quantitative Diagnosis of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma: An International Multi-Cohort Diagnostic Validation Study.

Background: Heterogeneity in oral potentially malignant disorder (OPMD) poses a problem for accurate prognosis that impacts on treatment strategy and patient outcome. A holistic assessment based on gene expression signatures from both the tumour cells and their microenvironment is necessary to provide a more precise prognostic assessment than just tumour cell signatures alone.

Methods: We reformulated our previously established multigene qPCR test, quantitative Malignancy Index Diagnostic System (qMIDS) with new genes involved in matrix/stroma and immune modulation of the tumour microenvironment.

Orofacial granulomatosis: A case report and a proposal of a diagnostic algorithm for oral granulomatous lesions.

Orofacial granulomatosis (OFG) is an uncommon chronic inflammatory disorder with multifactorial etiology and pathogenesis affecting the orofacial region which appears usually as a persistent and/or recurrent swelling that may involve one or both the lips and/or recurrent ulcers along with other orofacial features. The diagnosis of OFG is challenging and it should be ruled out from other conditions characterized by granulomatous inflammation. This article describes a case of a 30-year-old female patient with upper lip swelling as the main manifestation without any systemic involvement and we have also laid down a proposal of a diagnostic algorithm for differential diagnoses and treatment modalities for OFG which could be helpful for the clinician and dentists alike to rule out other granulomatous disorders thus in effective management of OFG.

Ultrasensitive detection of tumor-specific mutations in saliva of patients with oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: Oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC) is the most common head and neck malignancy. Although the survival rate of patients with advanced-stage disease remains approximately 20% to 60%, when detected at an early stage, the survival rate approaches 80%, posing a pressing need for a well validated profiling method to assess patients who have a high risk of developing OCSCC. Tumor DNA detection in saliva may provide a robust biomarker platform that overcomes the limitations of current diagnostic tests.

MicroRNA's - The vibrant performers in the oral cancer scenario.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a family of small non-coding (18-22 nucleotide) RNA molecules. These molecules regulate gene expression by either inhibiting mRNA translation or by degrading mRNA. A single miRNA can control the expression of target genes, and the expression of a target gene can be regulated by multiple miRNAs.

Association of the co-expression of SOX2 and Podoplanin in the progression of oral squamous cell carcinomas - an immunohistochemical study.

SOX2 is a transcription factor related to the maintenance of stem cells in a pluripotent state. Podoplanin is a type of transmembrane sialoglycoprotein, which plays an important role in tumor progression and metastasis. This study aims to determine association of SOX2 and podoplanin expression in the progression of oral squamous cell carcinomas and to elucidate the association between two proteins.

Osteoid osteoma of the mandible: A case report with review of the literature.

Osteoid osteoma is a benign skeletal neoplasm most frequently observed in young individuals. The tumor most commonly occurs in the femur, the tibia, and the phalanges; however, jaw lesions are very rare. Herein, we report a rare case of osteoid osteoma that presented in the mandible of a 20-year-old boy.

Elucidating the role of Cyclooxygenase-2 in the pathogenesis of oral lichen planus - an immunohistochemical study with supportive histochemical analysis.

Objective: Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic, inflammatory disorder that affects the oral mucous membrane. During an inflammatory response, several chemokines and cytokines are released by the cells of the immune system. Activation of MMPs, along with mast cell-derived chymase and tryptase, degrades the basement membrane structural proteins, resulting in basement membrane breaks.

The prognostic implication of the expression of EGFR, p53, cyclin D1, Bcl-2 and p16 in primary locally advanced oral squamous cell carcinoma cases: a tissue microarray study.

Oral squamous cell carcinomas comprise a heterogeneous tumor cell population with varied molecular characteristics, which makes prognostication of these tumors a complex and challenging issue. Thus, molecular profiling of these tumors is advantageous for an accurate prognostication and treatment planning. This is a retrospective study on a cohort of primary locally advanced oral squamous cell carcinomas (n = 178) of an Indian rural population.

Cyclooxygenase-2--An Imperative Prognostic Biomarker in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma--An Immunohistochemical Study.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) with metastasis and tumor recurrence resulting in 90 % of cancer associated mortality. COX-2, an inflammatory biomarker, has been shown to play a significant role in tumorigenesis of OSCC. To study the expression of COX-2 in OSCC by immunohistochemistry and investigate its association with the clinicopathological parameters including patient survival.

Clinico-pathological correlation of E-cadherin expression at the invasive tumor front of Indian oral squamous cell carcinomas: An immunohistochemical study.

Background: Recent studies have indicated that although malignant cells at the invasive tumor front, bare morphological resemblance to the cells at central portion of the tumor, their molecular character differs significantly. E-cadherin is a cell-cell adhesion molecule that connects epithelial cells. This study attempts to correlate the E-cadherin expression at the invasive tumor front with tumor differentiation along with its clinico-pathological parameters.

Cytomorphological analysis of keratinocytes in oral smears from tobacco users and oral squamous cell carcinoma lesions--a histochemical approach.

Aim: To analyse the cytomorphological features of keratinocytes in smears obtained from the oral mucosa of tobacco users and from oral squamous cell carcinoma lesions.

Methodology: Oral smears were obtained from clinically, normal appearing mucosa of oral squamous cell carcinoma patients (n=20) and from the mucosa of smokers (n=20), and apparently healthy individuals (n=20) were used as controls. The smears were histochemically stained and cytomorphological assessment of the keratinocytes was carried out.