Microbiome-host interactions in oral squamous cell carcinoma: a metatranscriptomic exploratory study

Oral cancer (predominantly squamous cell carcinoma; OSCC) is the 14th most prevalent malignancy worldwide, accounting for more than 300,000 new cases and 145,000 deaths annually. Despite advances in cancer treatment modalities, OSCC continues to have poor prognosis with 5-year survival rates less than 50%. Although use of tobacco and alcohol consumption constitute the major risk factors, there is emerging evidence for the role of the microbiome in OSCC. However, studies on the association between the microbiome and OSCC has so far focused on compositional analysis and has been largely limited to the bacterial component of the microbiome. The aim of this study is to characterize the transcriptional activity (function) as well as composition of the multi-kingdom microbiome associated with... (for more see dbGaP study page.)