Deciphering the MicroRNA Targets of Candidate Genes in Oral Submucous Fibrosis: A Computational Approach

can lead to gene malfunction, which in turn can ultimately result in the advancement of cancer.Previous literature has identified aberrant miRNA expression in various OPMDs like OSMF and oral leukoplakia. 10Though OSMF's molecular functionalities remain, to a large extent, unascertained, researchers have analyzed the effects of aberrant miRNA expression on collagen metabolism, IntroductIonOral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) is an oral potentially malignant disorder (OPMD) which, in the year 1952, was termed by Schwartz as "atropica idiopathica mucosae oris."In 1966, Pindborg and Sirsat defined OSMF as "an insidious, chronic disease that affects any part of the oral cavity and sometimes the pharynx." 1 In India, in the age-group of 11-60 years, the prevalence of OSMF in males and females is estimated to be 0.2-2.3% and 1.2-4.6%,respectively. 2A distinct spike in OSMF incidence rates can be attributed to the vigorous marketing efforts of commercial tobacco and areca nut products, commonly referred to as gutkha. 3atients with OSMF have been reported to have a higher risk of developing oral squamous cell carcinoma compared to other OPMDs. 3,4The proportion of OSMF cases that consequently become malignant is estimated to be as high as 30%. 5alignancies are one of the many diseases associated with the dysregulation of microRNAs (miRNA), a class of small singlestranded RNA molecules that govern the expression of several genes that have survived the course of evolution. 6wing to the possession of regulatory properties by miRNA, they represent a scientific area of great bearing and applicability in health care, which also includes cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy. 7cientists have proved the presence of miRNAs associated with malignancy and their atypical expression in the circulatory system of patients with oral cancer. 8,9The abnormal expression of miRNA