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Current Gene Therapy

Editor-in-Chief

ISSN (Print): 1566-5232
ISSN (Online): 1875-5631

Letter to the Editor

Theranostic Potential of Bacteriophages against Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Author(s): Maheswaran Easwaran, Sivagnanavelmurugan Madasamy and Baskar Venkidasamy*

Volume 25, Issue 2, 2025

Published on: 28 May, 2024

Page: [89 - 91] Pages: 3

DOI: 10.2174/0115665232305905240521081553

Price: $65

Open Access Journals Promotions 2
Abstract

Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC) is a widespread and challenging disease that accounts for 94% of cancers of the oral cavity worldwide. Bacteriophages (phages) have shown promise as a potential theranostic agent for the treatment of OSCC. It may offer advantages in overcoming the challenges of conventional methods. Modern high-throughput pyrosequencing techniques confirm the presence of specific bacterial strains associated with OSCC. Bio-panning and filamentous phages facilitate visualization of the peptide on surfaces and show high affinity in OSCC cells. The peptide has the potential to bind integrin (αvβ6), aid in diagnosis, and inhibit the proliferation of OSCC cells. Mimotopes of tumor-associated antigens show cytotoxic and immune responses against cancer cells. Biomarker-based approaches such as transferrin enable early OSCC diagnosis. A modified temperate phage introduces CRISPR-Cas3 to target antimicrobial-resistant bacteria associated with OSCC. The research findings highlight the evolving field of phage diagnostics and therapy and represent a new avenue for non-invasive, targeted approaches to the detection and treatment of OSCC. However, extensive clinical research is required to validate the efficacy of phages in innovative cancer theranostic strategies.

Keywords: Oral squamous cell carcinoma, bacteriophage, gene therapy, phage display peptide, integrin (αvβ6), CRISPR-Cas3.

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