Liu Xiqiang, Kolokythas Antonia, Wang Jianguang, Huang Hongzhang, Zhou Xiaofeng
Center for Molecular Biology of Oral Diseases, College of Dentistry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL.
Curr Cancer Ther Rev. 2010 Nov 1;6(4):294-307. doi: 10.2174/157339410793358066.
Even though lymph node metastasis accounts for the vast majority of cancer death in patients with oral cancer (OC), the molecular mechanisms of lymph node metastasis remain elusive. Genome-wide microarray analyses and functional studies in vitro and in vivo, along with detailed clinical observations, have identified a number of molecules that may contribute to lymph node metastasis. These include lymphangionenic cytokines, cell adhesion molecules, basement membrane-interacting molecules, matrix enzymes and relevant downstream signaling pathways. However, defined gene signatures from different studies are highly variable, which hinders their translation to clinically relevant applications. To date, none of the identified signatures or molecular biomarkers has been successfully implemented as a diagnostic or prognostic tool applicable to routine clinical practice. In this review, we will first introduce the significance of lymph node metastasis in OC, and clinical/experimental evidences that support the underlying molecular mechanisms. We will then provide a comprehensive review and integrative analysis of the existing gene expression studies that aim to identify the metastasis-related signatures in OC. Finally, the remaining challenges will be discussed and our insights on future directions will be provided.
尽管淋巴结转移是口腔癌（OC）患者癌症死亡的主要原因，但淋巴结转移的分子机制仍不清楚。全基因组微阵列分析以及体内外功能研究，再加上详细的临床观察，已经确定了一些可能导致淋巴结转移的分子。这些分子包括淋巴管生成细胞因子、细胞粘附分子、基底膜相互作用分子、基质酶和相关的下游信号通路。然而，不同研究中确定的基因特征差异很大，这阻碍了它们转化为临床相关应用。迄今为止，尚未有任何已确定的特征或分子生物标志物成功应用于常规临床实践中的诊断或预后工具。在本综述中，我们将首先介绍淋巴结转移在口腔癌中的重要性，以及支持潜在分子机制的临床/实验证据。然后，我们将对现有的旨在确定口腔癌转移相关特征的基因表达研究进行全面综述和综合分析。最后，将讨论剩余的挑战，并提供我们对未来方向的见解。
