Prime Highlights:
- Researchers identified CASP8 as a unique driver mutation in women, marking a major breakthrough in understanding oral cancer in Indian female patients.
- The study found two distinct groups of women with different immune responses in their tumors, which could help doctors predict disease progression and improve treatment.
Key Facts:
- Women with co-mutations in TP53 and CASP8 may develop more aggressive and recurring forms of oral cancer.
- India has one of the highest rates of oral cancer globally, with rising cases among women in regions where tobacco-infused betel quid and similar products are commonly used.
Background:
Indian researchers have uncovered crucial genetic clues that could transform the diagnosis and treatment of oral cancer among women in the country. A collaborative study has identified significant driver gene mutations in female patients from southern India, shedding fresh light on why oral cancer behaves differently in women compared to men.
The research was carried out by scientists from the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru, and the BRIC–National Institute of Biomedical Genomics (NIBMG), Kalyani, in partnership with clinicians from the Sri Devraj Urs Academy of Higher Education and Research (SDUAHER), Kolar. Led by Professor Tapas K. Kundu of JNCASR, the study focused exclusively on women with a distinctive tobacco-chewing habit common in the Kolar region of Karnataka, known as Kaddipudi.
Using paired tumour and blood samples from female OSCC-GB (oral squamous cell carcinoma – gingivo-buccal) patients, the team applied whole-exome sequencing to map genetic alterations. Their analysis revealed ten genes with significant mutations. While the genes CASP8 and TP53 are known to be involved in oral cancer, researchers discovered that CASP8 acts as a unique driver mutation in women, making this group different from previously studied patients, who were mostly men.
The study looked at tumor tissues and found two groups of female patients, each with a different immune response in their tumors. This could help doctors predict how the disease will progress and select the best treatments.
India has one of the highest rates of oral cancer in the world, with cases rising among women in regions where tobacco-infused betel quid and similar products are commonly used. Despite this, most scientific research has historically centred on male patients. This women-focused study, published in Clinical and Translational Medicine, aims to bridge that gap.
Researchers found that women with changes in both TP53 and CASP8 genes may have more aggressive and recurring oral cancer. The next part of the study will look at how these changes cause cancer and how treatments can be improved.
This discovery is an important step in understanding oral cancer in Indian women and could help develop better and more effective treatments.
