Nanopore Sequencing Technology in Oral Oncology: A Comprehensive Insight

Abstract

To review the principles and application of Nanopore Sequencing Technology (NPST) in oral cancer. Oral cancer is a disease caused by aberrations in the genes. Substantial research at the genomic level is still required for in-depth understanding of the molecular mechanism in oral cancer. The advent of the novel nanopore sequencing technique has the potential to detect the alterations at the genomic level. This review highlights nanopore sequencing, its advantages and disadvantages, and how research supports its application in the field of oral oncology. Web-based search via PubMed database, internet sources using keywords "nanopore sequencing, third-generation sequencing, next generation sequencing, cancer, oral squamous cell carcinoma, genetic, epigenetic, oncogenic viruses" was performed in this review. Original research, reviews, and short discussions published from 2008 to 2020 were included. The findings are discussed with emphasis on common gene mutations, epigenetic alterations, and oncogenic viruses in oral cancer. A brief mention regarding translational nanopore sequencing research in oral cancer and future perspectives is also discussed. The results obtained reveal that cost-effectiveness and rapid turnaround time make nanopore sequencing an enticing platform to resolve the ambiguity of genomes, epigenomes, and transcriptomes. The findings will encourage researchers to further adopt NPST in their studies and give an overview of the latest findings of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) management. To highlight the importance of NPST application in OSCC studies, this paper not only discusses the use of NPST in identifying the behavior of malignancy but also implies the need for further research using this technique. The review suggests that nanopore sequencing can be utilized for diagnosis and achieving personalized treatment in each oral cancer patient.