Shimae Nafarzadeh
Babol University of Medical Sciences, Iran
Title: Role of mast cells in oral squamous cell carcinoma
Biography
Biography: Shimae Nafarzadeh
Abstract
There are controversial findings about the role of mast cells in tumor progression. Some researchers believe mast cells play role in immunologic host defense, while some believe mast cells role in tumor progression. We conducted a systematic review article by surfing the PubMed and Scopus data bases and found 14 articles from 2000 to 2015. Mast cells are considered to have diverse biological functions such as phagocytosis, antigen processing, release of cytokines and preformed or newly formed mediators, hemostasis and inflammation. Mast cells also can affect angiogenesis by producing factors such as Heparin, Histamine, VEGF, Chymase, b-FGF, TGF-beta which certainly influence tumor growth. Role of mast cells as MMP activators has been identified. MMP-9 plays an important role in tumor metastasis and invasion through affecting angiogenesis and cleaving basement membrane. Considering poor prognosis of OSCC in spite of new therapeutic methods, it seems that mast cells could be good targets for future research and finding ways for their disactivation and suppression of their secretions is of great value for producing future anticancer drugs.