根據台灣衛生福利部的統計，口腔癌在台灣癌症死亡人數位居第五位。口腔癌的發生主要與吸菸、檳榔食用和飲酒有關，另外還有一些其他的危險因素，包括不良的口腔衛生習慣、念珠菌、病毒感染和口腔長期創傷等。藉由單細胞RNA測序技術（Single-cell RNA sequencing）分析口腔癌癌變過程中的生物標記物（Biomarker），可以以檢測不同的腫瘤細胞群之間的消長來分析腫瘤癌化、侵襲和轉移的關係。白色念珠菌時常在口腔鱗狀細胞癌（Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma）及口腔癌前病變（OPMD；Oral Premalignant Disorder）患者的口腔發生，WHO分類已經將「慢性念珠菌病」列為口腔癌前病變，因此本研究將臨床取得之口腔癌及口腔癌前病患之黏膜檢體，檢測病患的念珠菌感染情況，個別取得口腔癌、口腔癌前病患病灶及正常口腔黏膜之組織檢體進一步進行單細胞RNA測序分析，測定基因表達差異，併一同檢視念珠菌對口腔癌細胞所造成之差異。研究結果顯示整體細胞共分成24個族群，6群為癌症相關細胞群、18群為免疫細胞群，癌症相關細胞群又可以細分為13個次族群、免疫細胞群可分為15個次族群，腫瘤癌化族群及念珠菌相關表達的細胞可以看出細胞族群的消長，以上結果揭示口腔腫瘤演化、次族群細胞及念珠菌與癌症癌化過程間之相關消長資訊，此資訊可為口腔癌精準醫療之治療生物標記。

According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare in Taiwan, oral cancer is the fifth cancer deaths in Taiwan. Oral cancers are mainly associated with the usage of tobacco, betel nuts and alcohol consumption. Other risk factors include poor oral hygiene, candidiasis, viral infection, and chronic oral mucosa trauma.
With the technologies of Single-cell RNA sequencing, tumor cell invasion and metastasis between different tumor cell groups can be detected in oral cancer carcinogenesis. The clinical specimens were used to investigate the carcinogenesis crux in oral cancer and precancer lesion. In addition, Candida Albicans is frequently presence in oral cavity of cancer and precancerous lesion. The WHO classification lists “Chronic candidiasis” as an Oral Premalignant Disorder (OPMD). The clinical mucosal specimens from normal oral mucosa, oral cancer and oral precancerous patients were collected and candida infection was detected. Single-cell RNA sequencing analysis were performed. The differences in oral mucosa carcinogenesis and between candida infection or not were analyzed.
The total cells can be distinguished into 24 cell clusters, 6 cell clusters are cancer related cells, and 18 cell cluster are immune cell cluster. The gain or loss of the cell cluster, and gene expression difference can be observed in oral mucosa carcinogenesis, and between Candida infection. The above results can be utilized to investigate the carcinogenesis of oral tumors and subcluster cells concerning to Candida infection. These results can be utilized as treatment biomarker of precision medicine.

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