Research progress on the relationship between mitochondrial function and oral squamous cell carcinoma

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a common malignant tumor of the head and neck. In recent years, the incidence rate has been increasing. Mitochondria are dynamic organelles involved in various cell behaviors in eukaryotic cells. Mitochondrial dysfunction is closely related to tumor development. As a switch that determines cancer cell death, targeting mitochondria has become the focus of OSCC treatment. This article reviews the relationship between mitochondria and tumorigenesis and development, OSCC treatment, and cisplatin resistant OSCC. Current studies have found that mitochondrial dysfunction promotes cell carcinogenesis, and the mitochondrial morphology and function of cancer cells are significantly changed. The increase of mitochondrial fission improves the invasiveness of cancer cells, and mitophagy dysfunction can induce cancer cell apoptosis. The emergence of drugs and the development of nanotechnology in targeted drug delivery systems have opened up new methods for targeting mitochondria to treat OSCC, reducing the side effects of systemic medication. The cisplatin resistance of OSCC is generated through the mitochondrial pathway, and the mitochondrial function and mutation mechanism of mitochondrial DNA are clarified in order to provide new ideas for targeting mitochondria to treat cisplatin resistant OSCC.