Interventional effects of mesenchymal stem cells on epithelial–mesenchymal transition in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and underlying mechanisms: a systematic review and meta-analysis of in vitro studies

The existing <i>in vitro</i> evidence suggests that mesenchymal stem cells may exhibit a potential to promote EMT in HNSCC, potentially regulating tumor progression through multiple signaling pathway networks and providing new potential targets for future therapies targeting the TME. However, more high-quality, standardized <i>in vivo</i> and <i>in vitro</i> studies are needed to further validate the related mechanisms and therapeutic potential.