Deciphering The Role of Inter-Domain Crosstalk in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC)

Abstract

Oral squamous suggests that some AHLs are capable of binding to and modifying protein expression levels, thereby inducing quantifiable alterations in the behaviour of oral cancer cell carcinoma (OSCC) is one of the world's most prevalent cancers, with particularly elevated occurrences in South Asian countries such as India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Substantial evidence has indicated that oral microbial communities and their signalling networks actively interact and modulate OSCC. In this work, we are investigating possible roles for bacterial quorum-sensing (QS) molecules, i.e. N-acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs), in modifying major oncogenic pathways in oral cancer cells. A population-density-dependent behavioural system controlling gene expression and essential for organising into biofilms is called QS. Beyond their bacterial roles, AHLs are described as possessing inter-kingdom signalling activities influencing eukaryotic cellular responses. We have investigated the signalling pathways central to cells' proliferation, survival, and inflammatory reactions. Through in vitro assays, we investigated how selected AHL molecules directly or indirectly influence the expression and activity of chosen proteins from major signalling pathways in OSCC cells. Preliminary evidence exists that some AHLs are capable of binding to and modifying protein expression levels and inducing quantifiable alterations in cancer cells' behaviour, such as proliferation and inflammatory signalling. The results of the present work validate the idea that QS bacterial molecules could play an essential role in altering the composition of the tumour microenvironment, both positively and negatively influencing tumour growth, and could serve as potential candidates for targeted therapeutic intervention against oral cancer.