Faculty of Health Sciences
School of Dentistry
Department of Oral Pathology and Oral Biology
Selected Highlights from Research Findings
Oral cancer is the fourth most common malignancy among black males in South Africa. Despite dramatic advances in medical science, the mortality and morbidity of this disease has not decreased over the last five decades: 50% of all patients diagnosed with oral cancer are still going to die because of it, the most frequent cause of death being the development of second malignancies in the upper aerodigestive tract.
The most promising approach toward reducing the number of deaths associated with oral cancer is through timely detection. Research has shown that the earliest signs of oral cancer are to be found at the level of DNA. A normal human cell has 46 chromosomes, and the amount of DNA coiled up in these chromosomes is identical for nearly all cells in the body of a particular individual.
Cancer cells, especially cancer cells with the potential to spread, are among the exceptions in that they contain an abnormal (usually excessive) amount of DNA.
Scientists at the Department of Oral Pathology and Oral Biology have embarked on a research program aimed at developing methods to detect carcinogenic changes in the DNA profile of cells before these manifest as clinical symptoms.
This research, led by Prof Willie van Heerden and conducted in collaboration with Prof Joerg Hemmer from the University of Ulm in Germany, employs a technique known as a high resolution DNA flow cytometry to measure the amount of DNA in samples of cells taken from patients.
Research is underway to evaluate this technique in combination with novel, non-invasive cell sampling methods. The advantage of such methods – which involve scraping the lining of the oral cavity with a soft specialised brush to collect cells – is that they are painless and do not require specially equipped surgeries.
The outcomes of this research promise to alleviate suffering and bring hope to thousands of people living with the spectre of oral cancer. Prof WFP van Heerden
Oral Pathology and Oral Biology
+27 (0) 12 319 2320
willie.vanheerden@up.ac.za
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