Emerging Therapeutic Strategies in Oral Cancer: Epigenetic, Mitochondrial and Immunotherapy Approaches

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Molecular Biology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) presents significant treatment challenges due to complex etiological factors.
• Conventional therapies for OSCC have limitations in efficacy and patient tolerability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review emerging therapeutic strategies for OSCC, focusing on epigenetic modifications, metabolic targeting, and immunotherapy.
• To explore the role of the tumor microenvironment and oral microbiome in OSCC progression and treatment.
• To discuss advanced drug delivery systems and precision medicine approaches for OSCC management.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of recent advances in OSCC treatment modalities.
• Analysis of epigenetic therapies (DNA methyltransferase and histone deacetylase inhibitors).
• Evaluation of mitochondria-targeted therapies, immunotherapy (immune checkpoint inhibitors, cancer vaccines), RNA interference, and nanoparticle-based delivery systems.

Main Results:

• Epigenetic therapies can reverse abnormal gene expression in OSCC.
• Mitochondria-targeted therapies induce apoptosis via metabolic disruption and ROS modulation.
• Immunotherapy enhances anti-cancer immune responses, while RNA interference and nanoparticles offer targeted delivery.

Conclusions:

• Innovative therapies like epigenetic modification, metabolic targeting, and immunotherapy show significant potential for OSCC treatment.
• Understanding the interplay between the tumor microenvironment and oral microbiome is crucial for treatment response.
• Integrating precision medicine with advanced drug delivery systems is key to improving patient outcomes in oral cancer.