Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) is Overexpressed in Both Dysplasia and Neoplastic Oral Diseases

The Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) is a transmembrane cytoplasmic protein; studies indicate that it contributes to the development and progression of potentially malignant lesions to oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). A study was conducted in University of Chile, Santiago, to determine and characterize the expression of EGFR in samples of oral epithelial dysplasia (OED) and OSCC.

There is a tendency for both LGD, HGD and OSCC to have a high EGFR expression, but not normal oral mucosa. This confirms that EGFR overexpression is an intrinsic factor of dysplastic and neoplastic tissues, which serves as an early biological marker of these pathologies34. Based on these data, it is suggested that more followup studies be conducted to identify EGFR overexpression as a risk factor for malignant transformation, with a greater number of LGD and HGD samples and the experimental use of EGFR blockers for the treatment of OPMDs with OED that overexpress this marker.

ompj 13 2 article 1 web-9a53df96c3cad00d5b9e0e69c96b8bcd16576689.pdf