Recent Patents on Biomarkers in Oral Cancers
Cancer is a malady that ranks high in causing significant morbidity and mortality. Due to the complex genetic alterations and consequential biochemical and cellular changes that accompany the tumorigenic process, detection and treatment of this disease has been a formidable task. Extensive
research over the last several decades has brought to light some of the key signature modifications that are specific to cancer cells or to patients with cancer and were broadly termed tumor markers or tumor biomarkers. These biomarkers have been useful in the diagnosis and prognosis of cancers,
thereby aiding in efficacious therapies. Oral cancer is the sixth leading cause of cancer with 900,000 cases detected every year; most of them presented clinically in advanced stages. Thus, the tumor burden plays a deleterious role leading to treatment failure and high rates of mortality as
well as morbidity. Thus, key molecular biomarkers in oral cancer have been identified and a number of inventions have emanated from the studies in this context. They range from detection of microRNA and interleukins in saliva of the patients with oral cancer, to changes in gene expression
of salivary proteins. Further, some of the transcriptional changes have similarities to other cancers such as melanoma (example, MAGE transcripts). Also at the cellular level, indicators of proliferation have been touted as valuable markers in oral neoplasia. Here we highlight some of the
unique molecular biomarkers related to oral cancers. With the advances in technologies as well as an intense basic research in this field more candidates are bound to emerge. This would translate into better diagnosis and more individualized therapies for management of oral cancer. The current
review also specifically highlights the patent applications that could have an impact in the management of oral cancers.
Keywords: HPV; Head and Neck Cancer; Oral Cancers; epigenetics; methylation; microRNA; prognostic markers; proliferation diseases; squamous cell carcinoma; tumor
Document Type: Research Article
Publication date: 01 September 2011
- Recent Patents on Biomarkers publishes review and research articles, and guest edited thematic issues on important recent patents on biomarkers. The coverage includes novel biomarkers in basic, medical, environmental, and pharmaceutical research. A selection of important and recent patents on biomarkers is also included in the journal. The journal is essential reading for all researchers involved in biomarker research and discovery. The journal also covers recent research (where patents have been registered) in fast emerging patent biomarker applications; discovery and validation are covered for drug discovery, clinical development and molecular diagnostics.
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