Research Interests

The habitual consumption of areca nuts in India and Southeast Asia has been associated with oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) and its malignant transformation into oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The early diagnosis of OSCC poses a challenge in the clinical setup. The lesion biopsy remains the gold standard for detecting oral cancer but has disadvantages like scar formation and a further reduction in mouth opening. Moreover, the biopsy is invasive and cannot be performed repeatedly. There is a need to develop non-invasive methods for the early diagnosis of malignant transformation of OSMF. Our group aims to identify the unique biomarkers that are altered in the early stages of malignant transformation of OSMF compared to healthy and OSMF tissues. We also aim to establish an in vitro model to study the effects of areca nut, tobacco and lime on progression of OSCC.