Insights into the enigma of oral streptococci in carcinogenesis

Abstract

The genus Streptococcus consists of a taxonomically diverse group of Gram-positive bacteria that have earned significant scientific interest due to their physiological and pathogenic characteristics. Within the genus Streptococcus, viridans group streptococci (VGS) play a significant role in the oral ecosystem, constituting approximately 80% of the oral biofilm. Their primary role as pioneering colonizers in the oral cavity with multifaceted interactions like adherence, metabolic signaling, and quorum sensing contributes significantly to the complex dynamics of the oral biofilm, thus shaping oral health and disease outcomes. Perturbations in oral streptococci composition drive oral dysbiosis and therefore impact host-pathogen interactions, resulting in oral inflammation and representing VGS as an opportunistic pathogen. The association of oral streptococci in tumors across distant organs, spanning the esophagus, stomach, pancreas, and colon, illuminates a potential association between oral streptococci, inflammation, and tumorigenesis. This finding emphasizes the need for further investigations into the role of oral streptococci in mucosal homeostasis and their involvement in carcinogenesis. Hence, here, we review the significance of oral streptococci in biofilm dynamics and how the perturbation may impact mucosal immunopathogenesis in the context of cancer, with a vision of exploiting oral streptococci for cancer intervention and for the development of non-invasive cancer diagnosis.