The Role of Toll Like Receptors (TLRs) in Oral Carcinogenesis

Oral cancer accounts for 10% of head and neck tumors. Despite the recent advancements in surgical techniques, as well as in chemo- and radiotherapy therapeutic protocols, survival rates for oral cancer patients have not improved significantly in the last decades. Recently, toll like receptors (TLRs) have been described as promoters of cell proliferation, invasiveness, and angiogenesis in a variety of cancers. The aim of this review is to identify how TLRs participate in oral carcinogenesis in order to evaluate their biological relevance. Data revealed that some TLRs participate in oral carcinogenesis since TLR5 and TLR9 promote tumor growh, whereas TLR3 is closely involved to anti-cancer properties. They represent a promising alternative for oral cancer therapy. However, TLR2, TLR4 and TLR7 need further investigation, since current data are not sufficient to conclude about their role. Certainly, such data will contribute to new scientific knowledge, which will be incorporated to the preventive actions and therapeutic protocols for oral cancer patients suffering from this devasting disease.