Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41317308›Full record

ReviewDiscover oncology2025

Understanding the potential of probiotics in oral cancer prevention: a short review on microbial modulation.

César Rivera

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Discover oncology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

1 author.

César RiveraLaboratorio de Histopatología Oral y Maxilofacial, Departamento de Estomatología, Facultad de Odontología, Universidad de Talca, Avenida Lircay S/N, Campus Norte Universidad de Talca, Edificio de Ciencias Biomédicas, Oficina, No. 4, Talca, Chile. cerivera@utalca.cl.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remains a pressing public health challenge, with stagnant survival rates and limited progress in preventive strategies. In addition to classical risk factors such as tobacco and alcohol consumption, recent evidence highlights the role of microbial dysbiosis, particularly the overrepresentation of Fusobacterium nucleatum and Porphyromonas gingivalis, in promoting tumor initiation and progression through inflammation, epithelial transformation, and immune escape. This narrative review aims to summarize and discuss the current evidence linking the oral microbiota to the development of OSCC, with a particular focus on the potential role of probiotics as modulators of microbial balance, inflammation, and epithelial homeostasis. Probiotics have emerged as potential modulators of these carcinogenic processes. Emerging data indicate that specific probiotic strains, including Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus salivarius, Streptococcus salivarius, and Lactobacillus acidophilus, show antiproliferative and immunomodulatory effects in preclinical models. These include the inhibition of oncogenic bacteria, restoration of microbial equilibrium, downregulation of pro-inflammatory pathways, and enhancement of anti-tumor immunity. Engineered probiotics producing guided antimicrobial peptides (gAMPs), synthetic molecules specifically designed to target tumor-promoting microbes, further exemplify the potential of precision microbial modulation. However, most available evidence derives from experimental or small-scale human studies, with limited data directly addressing oral cancer prevention. Probiotics represent a promising, biologically plausible approach to modulating the oral microenvironment in ways that may reduce carcinogenic risk. While preliminary evidence supports their mechanistic and translational potential, robust clinical trials are needed to validate their safety and efficacy as adjuncts in oral cancer prevention.

Indexed as

Fusobacterium nucleatumImmunomodulationMicrobiotaOral neoplasmsProbiotics

Identifiers

PMID41317308
PMCPMC12764730

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.