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Abstract Background Tumor metastasis is responsible for the high mortality rate of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Although many hypotheses have been proposed to elucidate the mechanism of tumor metastasis, the origin of the metastatic tumor cells remains unclear. In this study, we explored the role of cell fusion in the formation of OSCC metastatic tumor cells. Methods Murine OSCC tumor cells and macrophages were fused in vitro, and the cell proliferation, migration, and phagocytosis abilities of hybrid cells and parental cells were compared. Subsequently, we compared the transcriptome differences between hybrid and parental cells. Results Murine OSCC tumor cells and macrophages were successfully fused in vitro. The cytological and molecular experimental results revealed that OSCC tumor cells obtained a migration‐related phenotype after fusion with macrophages, and the migration ability of hybrid cells was related to the activation of the “chemokine signal pathway”. Conclusion After fusion with macrophages, the chemokine signaling pathway in OSCC tumor cells was activated, leading to metastasis.

BackgroundWith the frequent use of Bisphosphonates (BPs), the morbidity of BP-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ) is also increasing. However, the prevention and treatment of BRONJ is faced with enormous challenges. This study aimed to illuminate the influence of BP administration in the rat mandible and explore the feasibility of discriminating BRONJ lesion bone with Raman spectroscopy.Materials and methodsFirst, we explored the time- and mode-dependent effects of BP administration on the rat mandible with Raman spectroscopy. Second, the BRONJ rat model was constructed, and the lesion and healthy bone components were analyzed using Raman spectroscopy.ResultsWhen only BPs were administered, no rats showed BRONJ symptoms, and no difference could be found in the Raman spectra. However, when combined with local surgery, six (6/8) rats showed BRONJ symptoms. The Raman spectra also showed a significant difference between the lesion and healthy bone.ConclusionIn the progression of BRONJ, BPs and local stimulation play an essential role. Both BPs administration and local stimulation need to be controlled to prevent BRONJ. Moreover, BRONJ lesion bone in rats could be discriminated with Raman spectroscopy. This novel method would become a complement in the treatment of BRONJ in the future.

Abstract Background Local recurrence is the main cause of death among patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). This study assessed near-infrared fluorescence (NIF) imaging and spectroscopy to monitor surgical margins intraoperatively for OSCC. Methods Cytological and animal experiments were first performed to confirm the feasibility of monitoring surgical margins with NIF imaging and spectroscopy. Then, 20 patients with OSCC were included in the clinical trials. At 6–8 h after 0.75 mg/kg indocyanine green (ICG) injection, all patients underwent surgery with NIF imaging. During the surgery, both NIF images and quantified fluorescence intensity were acquired to monitor the surgical margins. Results In cytological and animal experiments, the results showed it was feasible to monitor surgical margins with NIF imaging and spectroscopy. Fluorescence was detected in primary tumors in all patients. The fluorescence intensities of the tumor, peritumoral, and normal tissues were 398.863 ± 151.47, 278.52 ± 84.89, and 274.5 ± 100.93 arbitrary units (AUs), respectively (P < 0.05). The SBR of tumor to peritumoral tissue and normal tissues was computed to be 1.45 ± 0.36 and 1.56 ± 0.41, respectively. After primary tumor excision, the wounds showed abnormal fluorescence in four patients (4/20), and residual cancer cells were confirmed by pathological examination in two patients (2/20). Conclusion These findings confirmed the complementary value of NIF imaging during radical tumor resection of OSCC. Before tumor resection, we could utilize the fluorescence margin produced by ICG NIF imaging to determine the surgical margin. Moreover, after tumor blocks were removed, the status of surgical margin could also be evaluated rapidly by ICG NIF imaging of tumor bed and in vitro specimens.

This meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the value of indocyanine green (ICG) in guiding sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) for patients with oral cavity cancer. An electronic database search (PubMed, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Web of Science) was performed from their inception to June 2020 to retrieve clinical studies of ICG applied to SLNB for oral cavity cancer. Data were extracted from 14 relevant articles (226 patients), and 9 studies (134 patients) were finally included in the meta-analysis according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The pooled sentinel lymph node (SLN) sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, and diagnostic odds ratio were 88.0% (95% confidence interval [CI], 74.0-96.0), 64.0% (95% CI, 61.0-66.0), 2.45 (95% CI, 1.31-4.60), 0.40 (95% CI, 0.17-0.90), and 7.30 (95% CI, 1.74-30.68), respectively. The area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.8805. In conclusion, ICG applied to SLNB can effectively predict the status of regional lymph nodes in oral cavity cancer.