Exploring beyond Common Cell Death Pathways in Oral Cancer: A Systematic Review.

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Cell Biology
• Molecular Medicine

Background:

• Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a globally prevalent and deadly cancer.
• Existing therapies for OSCC often face variable responses and resistance, necessitating novel treatment strategies.
• Recent advancements have deepened the understanding of programmed cell death mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review emerging programmed cell death pathways in OSCC.
• To highlight the diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic potential of these cell death forms.
• To explore how these pathways can inform individualized OSCC treatment.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature review of original studies on selected cell deaths in OSCC.
• Searches conducted across four databases.
• Data extraction, categorization by cell death type, and risk of bias assessment.

Main Results:

• Ferroptosis, pyroptosis, and necroptosis were the most frequently studied cell death types in OSCC.
• These pathways are linked to cancer immunity, inflammation, OSCC progression, and prognosis.
• The review synthesized data from 79 articles.

Conclusions:

• Emerging cell death pathways present promising therapeutic targets for OSCC.
• Harnessing these pathways can aid in patient-specific prognosis and personalized therapy.
• Integration of these cell death types may lead to improved diagnostic and therapeutic decision tools for OSCC.