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World J Clin Oncol. Dec 10, 2015; 6(6): 264-271
Published online Dec 10, 2015. doi: 10.5306/wjco.v6.i6.264
Dynamic role of myofibroblasts in oral lesions
Neeta Bagul, Anjali Ganjre, SN Goryawala, Rahul Kathariya, Shrikant Dusane
Neeta Bagul, Anjali Ganjre, Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Dr. D.Y Patil Dental College and Hospital, Dr. D. Y Patil Vidyapeeth, Pune 411018, India
SN Goryawala, Department of Dentistry, GMERS Medical College, Vadodara 390021, Gujrat
Rahul Kathariya, Department of Periodontology and Oral Implantology, Dr. D.Y Patil Dental College and Hospital, Dr. D. Y Patil Vidyapeeth, Pune 411018, India
Shrikant Dusane, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Sinhgad Dental College and Hospital, Pune 411041, India
Author contributions: All authors contributed to this manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The author confirm that the manuscript is original and has not been published elsewhere. Nor is it sent to any other journals for consideration. In addition, the authors report no conflict of interest, and the manuscript in its submitted form has been read and approved by all authors.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Correspondence to: Dr. Rahul Kathariya, MDS, PhD, Department of Periodontology and Oral Implantology, Dr. D.Y Patil Dental College and Hospital, Dr. D. Y Patil Vidyapeeth, Sant Tukaram Nagar, Pimpri, Pune 411018, India. rkathariya@gmail.com
Telephone: +91-89-83370741
Received: April 10, 2015
Peer-review started: April 11, 2015
First decision: June 4, 2015
Revised: August 4, 2015
Accepted: September 7, 2015
Article in press: September 8, 2015
Published online: December 10, 2015
Processing time: 243 Days and 15.8 Hours
Abstract

Fibroblasts are the most abundant cellular components of connective tissue. They possess phenotypical heterogenicity and may be present in the form of smooth muscle cells or myofibroblasts (MFs). MFs are spindle-shaped cells with stress fibres and well-developed fibronexus, and they display α-smooth muscle actin immunohistochemically and smooth-muscle myofilaments ultrastructurally. MFs play a crucial role in physiological and pathological processes. Derived from various sources, they play pivotal roles not only by synthesizing and producing extracellular matrix components, such as other connective tissue cells, but also are involved in force production. In the tissue remodelling phase of wound closure, integrin-mediated interactions between MFs and type I collagen result in scar tissue formation. The tumour stroma in oral cancer actively recruits various cell types into the tumour mass, where they act as different sources of MFs. This article reviews the importance of MFs and its role in pathological processes such as wound healing, odontogenic cysts and tumours, salivary gland tumours, oral preneoplasia, and oral squamous cell carcinoma. Research oriented on blocking the transdifferentiation of fibroblasts into MFs can facilitate the development of noninvasive therapeutic strategies for the treatment of fibrosis and/or cancer.

Keywords: Myofibroblasts; Neoplasm; Fibroblasts; Precancerous lesions; Carcinoma-associated fibroblasts; Precancerous conditions

Core tip: Myofibroblast (MFs) are spindle-shaped cells consisting α-smooth muscle actin myofilament. They have a multicellular origin. MFs of the oral cavity have more contractile ability than dermal fibroblasts in physiologic wound healing. Recently, carcinoma-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) have received considerable attention because of their role in carcinogenesis. Mainly, transforming growth factor-β released from oral cancer cells is responsible for transforming fibroblasts into CAFs, which leads to tumour progression. However, the role of MFs in oral leukoplakia and oral submucous fibrosis is not completely understood. Understanding the implications of therapeutic approaches for the transdifferentiation of fibroblasts into MFs at different stages of carcinogenesis will facilitate in developing a treatment plan.