ORAL CANCER BIOCHEMICAL RESEARCH: CURRENT STATUS AND EMERGING FRONTIERS

Cancer represents one of the leading causes or mortality worldwide, oral cancer accounting for almost 9% of deaths, early diagnosis playing a crucial role. Salivary biomarkers analysis is proving to be an alternative diagnosis method. Oral cancer biomarkers can be compounds that play role in every aspect of malignancy from triggering factors to markers of progression, inflammation or invasiveness. There are numerous genomic markers, ranging from well known ones such as p16, p21, p27 and p53 genes, cyclin D1, EGFR gene (epidermal growth factor receptor), C-kit gene (KIT proto-oncogene, receptor tyrosine kinase), bcl-6(B-cell lymphoma 6 protein gene) to least studied ones such as OXSR1(oxidative stress-responsive kinase-1gene). Proteomic markers range from inflammatory factors such as interleukins IL-8 and Il-6, transcription factors such as FOXO3 (forkhead box O3) protein and S100B protein, matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) involved in extracellular matrix degradation and their inhibitors (TIMP - tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases), specific proliferation markers such as Ki-67 protein and many more. Developing saliva based oral cancer screening and prognosis tests may lead to better treatment options.