Prognostic significance of bone morphogenetic protein 6 (BMP6) expression, clinical and pathological factors in clinically node-negative oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC)

Role of the BMP6 protein in breast cancer and other types of cancer

The BMP6 protein (Bone Morphogenetic Protein 6) is part of the superfamily of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) ligands, participates in iron homeostasis, inhibits invasion by increasing adhesions and cell-cell type interactions and induces angiogenesis directly on vascular endothelial cells. BMP6 is coded by a tumor suppressor gene whose subexpression is related to the development and cancer progression; during neoplastic processes, methylation is the main mechanism by which gene silencing occurs. This work presents a review on the role of BMP6 protein in breast cancer (BC) and other types of cancer. The studies carried out to date suggest the participation of the BMP6 protein in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) phenotype, cell growth and proliferation; however, these processes are affected in a variable way in the different types of cancer, the methylated CpG sites in BMP6 gene promoter, as well as the interaction with other proteins could be the cause of such variation.

Role of Oral Bacteria in the Development of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is an invasive epithelial neoplasm that is influenced by various risk factors, with a low survival rate and an increasing death rate. In the past few years, with the verification of the close relationship between different types of cancers and the microbiome, research has focused on the compositional changes of oral bacteria and their role in OSCC. Generally, oral bacteria can participate in OSCC development by promoting cell proliferation and angiogenesis, influencing normal apoptosis, facilitating invasion and metastasis, and assisting cancer stem cells. The study findings on the association between oral bacteria and OSCC may provide new insight into methods for early diagnosis and treatment development.