SALIVA- AND PLASMA-DERIVED EXTRACELLULAR VESICLES REVEAL POTENTIAL BIOMARKERS OF LYMPH NODE METASTASIS IN ORAL CANCER

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is among the most prevalent head and neck cancer and is frequently associated with poor prognosis due to lymph node metastasis. In this seminar, we will present an integrated proteomic analysis of extracellular vesicles (EVs) isolated from plasma and saliva of OSCC patients, aiming to identify minimally invasive biomarkers associated with metastatic progression. Using high-resolution mass spectrometry-based proteomics, we characterized more than 1,000 EV-associated proteins across both biofluids and identified molecular signatures capable of distinguishing patients with and without lymph node involvement. Machine learning approaches revealed highly predictive protein and peptide panels with strong classification performance. In addition, targeted PRM-MS analyses demonstrated the translational potential of EV-derived biomarkers for liquid biopsy applications. The seminar will further discuss the biological implications of EV-mediated intercellular communication in tumor progression and metastasis, highlighting how advanced functional proteomics can support precision oncology and noninvasive clinical decision-making in oral cancer.