Oral Cancer

P2, N=818, Active, not recruiting, National Cancer Institute (NCI) | Trial completion date: May 2026 --> May 2027 | Trial primary completion date: May 2026 --> May 2027

P=N/A, N=150, Not yet recruiting, Centre Leon Berard

Our case and literature review suggest that chronic mechanical stimulation in the oral cavity may contribute to the development of oral DRA. These findings highlight the importance of regular oral examinations and the elimination of mechanical irritation in patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis.

Corydaline (COR), a natural isoquinoline alkaloid, was evaluated for its anticancer potential against doxorubicin-resistant Cal27 (Dox-Cal27) oral squamous carcinoma cells. Molecular docking analysis further revealed a stable binding of COR within the active pocket of Bcl-2 (binding affinity, - 7.6 kcal/mol), involving hydrogen bonds with Arg105 and Glu95 and hydrophobic interactions with Leu96, Phe63, and Phe112, suggesting direct inhibition of Bcl-2's anti-apoptotic function. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that COR exerts potent pro-apoptotic and anti-metastatic effects through mitochondrial pathway activation and Bcl-2 targeting, highlighting its promise as a candidate for overcoming chemoresistance in oral cancer.

We propose that PAR2 activation in oral N+ cancers from patients with pain is driven by high levels of MMP1 and PRSS23. Our study informs design of signaling and location-specific antagonists to provide more efficacious analgesia.

EGF was also linked to cancer-associated fibroblast infiltration and can influence angiogenesis pathways. Our findings indicate that EGF may serve as a prognostic biomarker and potential therapeutic target for OSCC.

These allelic variants may serve as indicators of tumor microenvironment (TME) involvement and could affect the effectiveness of immunotherapy. Recognizing population-specific variations in immune cell infiltration highlights biological differences in carcinogenesis and offers opportunities to discover new biomarkers and stratify patients for personalized treatment strategies.

In parallel, the short isoform CNTNAP2-203 has recently emerged as an oncogenic driver in oral squamous cell carcinoma, where its selective upregulation amplifies EGFR-E2F1 signaling and promotes tumor progression. This review synthesizes current knowledge of CNTNAP2 biology, highlighting isoform- and context-specific mechanisms and outlining key unanswered questions relevant to both neurological disease and cancer.

OL management is hindered by heterogeneous transformation risks, limited high-quality studies, and reliance on histopathology. Multidisciplinary care, AI-enhanced risk stratification, and large-scale randomized controlled trials have now become essential in order to refine surveillance, optimize interventions, and reduce OSCC burden. Until then, the treat-or-observe dilemma persists, underscoring the need for interprofessional collaboration at the international level.

P=N/A, N=60, Recruiting, Virginia Commonwealth University | Trial completion date: Oct 2026 --> Oct 2027 | Trial primary completion date: Oct 2026 --> Oct 2027

P=N/A, N=40, Recruiting, University of Michigan | Trial completion date: Jun 2026 --> Jun 2028 | Trial primary completion date: Jan 2026 --> Jan 2028

Among them, rhein exhibited significant anti-proliferative activity, superior to carboplatin, with an IC₅₀ value of 72.4 ± 3.7 μM against CAL-27 cells...Moreover, rhein not only activates the mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis signaling pathway (Bax/Bcl-2/cytochrome C/cleaved caspase-3) but also highly activates the expression level of the DNA damage protein γ-H2AX. This study provides new insights into the development of natural anthraquinone compounds as promising candidates for oral cancer therapies.