Porphyromonas Gingivalis and Oral Cancer Pathogenesis

Porphyromonas gingivalis is a gram-negative anaerobic bacterium and a keystone pathogen in chronic periodontitis. Beyond its established role in periodontal tissue destruction, accumulating evidence implicates this organism in oral carcinogenesis. P. gingivalis establishes persistent infection in the oral mucosa through proteolytic enzymes, immune evasion strategies and subversion of epithelial barriers. Chronic exposure to the bacterium and its secreted gingipains triggers sustained inflammatory signalling—activating NF-κB, MAPK and anti-apoptotic pathways—and promotes epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, cell proliferation and invasiveness. Moreover, metabolic by-products such as acetaldehyde further damage host DNA and foster a pro-tumour microenvironment. Clinical studies have detected P. gingivalis in oral squamous cell carcinoma specimens at significantly higher rates than in healthy mucosa, and serological markers against the pathogen correlate with disease stage and prognosis. These insights highlight the global significance of oral microbiota in cancer aetiology and open avenues for diagnostic biomarkers and targeted interventions that combine antimicrobial strategies with modulation of the tumour microenvironment.

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Porphyromonas Gingivalis and Oral Cancer Pathogenesis publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in porphyromonas gingivalis and oral cancer pathogenesis across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Porphyromonas gingivalis: Gram-negative anaerobic bacterium and keystone periodontal pathogen implicated in chronic inflammation.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC): A malignant tumour arising from the epithelial lining of the oral cavity.

Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT): A biological process wherein epithelial cells acquire migratory and invasive characteristics.

Gingipains: Cysteine proteases secreted by P. gingivalis that degrade host proteins and modulate immune responses.

Tumour microenvironment: The cellular, molecular and structural milieu surrounding tumour cells, including immune and stromal components.

References

1. Mechanisms of Porphyromonas gingivalis to translocate over the oral mucosa and other tissue barriers. Journal of Oral Microbiology (2023).
2. Presence of Porphyromonas gingivalis in esophagus and its association with the clinicopathological characteristics and survival in patients with esophageal cancer. Infectious Agents and Cancer (2016).
3. Possible role of Porphyromonas gingivalis in orodigestive cancers. Journal of Oral Microbiology (2019).
4. Persistent Exposure to Porphyromonas gingivalis Promotes Proliferative and Invasion Capabilities, and Tumorigenic Properties of Human Immortalized Oral Epithelial Cells. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology (2017).
5. Human Primary Epithelial Cells Acquire an Epithelial-Mesenchymal-Transition Phenotype during Long-Term Infection by the Oral Opportunistic Pathogen, Porphyromonas gingivalis. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology (2017).
6. Porphyromonas gingivalis activates NFκB and MAPK pathways in human oral epithelial cells. BMC Immunology (2017).
7. Preoperative serum immunoglobulin G and A antibodies to Porphyromonas gingivalis are potential serum biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. BMC Cancer (2018).