Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Nov 30: A team of Indian researchers has uncovered driver gene mutations linked to oral cancer in women, shedding light on why the disease manifests differently and more aggressively in female patients in southern India.

The collaborative study, led by Professor Tapas K. Kundu from the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru, involved researchers from BRIC-National Institute of Biomedical Genomics (NIBMG), Kalyani, and clinicians from Sri Devraj Urs Academy of Higher Education and Research (SDUAHER), Kolar. The research focused on women with a regional tobacco-chewing habit (Kaddipudi), commonly observed in the Kolar district of Karnataka.

Key Findings

• Using whole-exome sequencing and AI-driven tissue analysis, the team identified ten genes with significant mutations in the female oral cancer cohort.
• Among these, CASP8 emerged as a novel driver mutation, differing from previously studied mutations in male oral cancer patients.
• TP53, a well-known cancer gene, was also highly mutated, and the combination of CASP8 and TP53 mutations appears to create a highly aggressive and lethal oral cancer phenotype in women.
• AI-based digital analysis revealed two distinct groups of female patients with differing immune responses in their tumors, highlighting the heterogeneity of the disease.

Significance

Oral cancer is a major public health concern in India, with particularly high rates among women in southern and northeastern regions due to widespread chewing of tobacco-infused betel quid, gutka, and related products. While the disease has been extensively studied in men, research focusing on women has been limited. This study provides critical insights into the unique biology of female oral cancer, paving the way for more targeted treatments and personalized care.

Next Steps

The research team aims to explore the molecular mechanisms by which CASP8 drives tumor development in the presence of TP53 alterations, potentially offering new avenues for therapeutic intervention in female oral cancer patients.

The study has been published in the Clinical and Translational Medicine Journal and is being hailed as a milestone in women-centric cancer research in India.