Open Access

REVIEW

The bacterial small RNAs: The new biomarkers of oral microbiota-associated cancers and diseases

MENGYING MAO^1,2,3,#, TING DONG^1,2,3,#, YANJING LIANG^3,4, KEYONG YUAN^1,2,3, QIAOQIAO JIN^1,2,3, PENGFEI ZHANG^1,2,3, ZHENGWEI HUANG^1,2,3,*

1 Department of Endodontics, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital, College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
2 National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shanghai, China
3 Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology & Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai, China
4 Department of Nursing, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China

* Corresponding Author: ZHENGWEI HUANG. Email:
# These authors have contributed equally to this work

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Identification of Genetic and Epigenetic Markers for Complex Diseases via Integrating Multistage Biological Data)

BIOCELL 2023, 47(10), 2187-2193. https://doi.org/10.32604/biocell.2023.042357

Received 27 May 2023; Accepted 27 July 2023; Issue published 08 November 2023

Abstract

The oral microbiota is a vital part of the human microbiota that functions in various physiological processes and is highly relevant to cancers and other diseases. With the alterations of host immune competence, the homeostatic balance existing between the oral microbiota and host may be disturbed and result in the development of diseases. Numerous observations have suggested that small RNAs are key regulators of bacterial pathogenesis and bacteria-host interactions. Further, bacterial small RNAs are considered to be promising biomarkers for the development of novel, and efficacious therapies for oral dysbiosis. Mechanistic insights into how oral pathogens communicate with other bacteria or host cells in oral cancers via small RNAs are hot topics of research. Current studies also have begun to elucidate the key role of oral microbiota in the development of systemic diseases. This article discusses existing findings and nascent mechanisms governing the small RNA-based interactions between oral microbiota and associated diseases. The knowledge of such interactions is key in planning approaches to reverse dysbiosis to achieve health.

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