Vijayashree Priyadharsini Jayaseelan^1,, Smiline Girija², Paramasivam Arumugam³

Epigenetics has marked the beginning of a new era in the field of Genetics and Genomics. It can unravel mysteries about the intricate mechanisms underlying the process of development, differentiation and maturation of cells. Epigenetics may be considered as an “epicentre” of modern personalized medicine because of its influence over phenotypes which is driven by factors like nutrition, environment, exposure to toxic chemicals, etc. These risk factors are known to bring about a permanent change in the epigenetic profile of an individual. Thus, the epigenetic landscape defines the disease presentation and progression with a great precision. Oral cancer is one of the major causes for morbidity and mortality worldwide. Dysregulation of gene expression due to chromosomal aberrations have been extensively reported in the case of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Recently, in addition to genetic processes, epigenetic mechanisms have also been shown to play a central role in the development and progression of disease. Exhaustive investigations in the field of cancer biology employing innovative technologies have led to the identification of biomarkers that are useful in characterizing oral cancers. miRNAs are regulatory elements which could exhibit oncogenic or tumor suppressor activity depending upon the cell type and its biological environment. Upregulation of miRNAs have been implicated in the tumor progression and invasion in OSCC. This review, will present a comprehensive note on the epigenetic role of Onco-miRs in the etiology of OSCC. A prelude on these onco-miRs as diagnostic markers and a potential target for treatment of OSCC will also be discussed briefly.

Epigenetics, miRNA, oral cancer, oncogenes, 3'-UTR