Forskning
November 4, 2022
Inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome activation by caffeine might be a potential mechanism to reduce the risk of squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity and oropharynx with coffee drinking
F S Fan, 2022. Inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome activation by caffeine might be a potential mechanism to reduce the risk of squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity and oropharynx with coffee drinking, Frontiers in Oral Health.
ABSTRACT:
According to the GLOBOCAN 2020 assessment of cancer statistics generated by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, cancer of the lip and oral cavity is the 18th most common cancer worldwide, with 377,713 new cases and 177,757 new deaths worldwide in 2020, while cancer of the oropharynx is the 26th most common cancer worldwide, with 98,412 new cases and 48,143 new deaths in 2020 (1). Most of the two cancers are squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) in pathology classification, and Asia has the highest incidence and mortality rates for both cancers (2, 3). Notably, oral SCC is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in South Asian countries, including India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, and prevention strategies are urgently required (4). The consumption of tobacco, alcohol, and betel quid has been reported to be a major risk factor for oral SCC, and the reduction of their use has been the main focus of cancer control in relevant areas (5). Meanwhile, interestingly, in epidemiological studies, a common drink, coffee, has long been found to have preventive potential against both the oral cavity and oropharyngeal SCC. The impact of coffee on the risk of various cancers has been intensively investigated in many case-control and cohort studies. Meta-analysis of these observational studies led to the conclusion that coffee intake is inversely related to the occurrence of oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers (6, 7). However, the protective influence of coffee on cancer of the oral cavity and oropharynx appeared to exist only in caffeinated coffee (8). The molecular mechanism underlying the chemopreventive effects of coffee on cancer remains unclear and needs further investigation (9). Herein, a hypothesis is proposed to explain the beneficial effects of coffee on oral and oropharyngeal cancer based on a thorough literature review of recent progress in the field of inflammasome research.
