Cyclooxygenase–2 in Oral Cancer: A Review

Dr. Rupal Rajendra Punse; Dr. Sangeeta Jayant Palaskar; Dr. Anirudha Bartake; Dr. Darshana Shah

Volume : VII, Issue : V, May - 2017

Cyclooxygenase–2 in Oral Cancer: A Review

Dr. Rupal Rajendra Punse, Dr. Sangeeta Jayant Palaskar, Dr. Anirudha Bartake, Dr. Darshana Shah

Abstract :

Cyclooxygenase (COX)–2 is a rate–limiting enzyme in the conversion of arachidonic acid to prostaglandin. It is up–regulated in inflammation as well as in various cancer tissues like colon, stomach, east, lung and head and neck including oral cavity. Overexpression of COX–2 inhibits apoptosis and immune surveillance; promote angiogenesis, increases cancer invasiveness and metastasis. Therefore, COX–2 is considered to be strongly involved in carcinogenesis and tumor growth. Immunohistochemical and Western blot analyses in oral precancerous and cancerous lesions demonstrated that COX–2 expression is increased from epithelial dysplasia to squamous cell carcinoma, with the elevation of cell proliferating activity. Inhibition of COX–2 activity with selective COX–2 inhibitors results in suppression of tumor cell growth and invasion in vitro. Thus, these evidences indicate that COX–2 becomes a potent molecular target for prevention and therapy of oral cancer.