Relationship between miRNAs dysregulation and the metastatic process associated with epithelial-mesenchymal transition in oral squamous cell carcinoma: A systematic review.

OBJECTIVES

This systematic review aimed to evaluate the relationship between miRNAs dysregulation and the occurrence of the metastatic process associated with EMT in OSCC.

DESIGNING: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed. Searches were conducted in the PubMed, Web of Science, LILACS, Scopus, Embase, Google Scholar, and EBSCO Teses databases. No restrictions on year or language were applied. The review protocol was developed and registered in the PROSPERO database (University of York, York, United Kingdom) under registration number CRD42024531676.

RESULTS

Eighteen studies were included in this review. A total of 17 miRNAs involved in the regulatory mechanism of EMT were identified, of which five were upregulated and twelve downregulated in OSCC tissues. Furthermore, eight deregulated miRNAs showed a significant association with lymph node metastasis, and four showed a significant correlation with distant metastasis.

CONCLUSION

Despite the complex regulatory mechanisms of these molecules, the studies included in this review highlight the potential of miRNAs as targets for diagnosis and therapy in the clinical management of OSCC. However, further studies with larger sample sizes are needed to validate these findings.