Professor Nikolaos G. Nikitakis

Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders (PMDs): The great promise of molecular markers and targets

Oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) are characterized by an increased risk of transformation to oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Among them, leukoplakia is the most common, while erythroplakia and proliferative verrucous leukoplakia, although more rare, are associated with a higher incidence of malignant transformation (MT). Considering the guarded prognosis of OSCC, as well as the physical, psychological and financial burden and the significant side effects of its treatment, there is a quest for significant improvements in detection, diagnosis, prognostication and management of OPMDs.

Although biopsy and histopathologic examination remain the gold standard for OPMD diagnosis, the goal of accurately defining the risk of MT of any given OPMD, which is a prerequisite for selecting the best treatment option, remains elusive. In addition, the current management of these lesions is challenging and, to a large extent, suboptimal. Nonetheless, continuing research efforts worldwide generate optimism that the ongoing investigation of OPMDs will ameliorate both their diagnosis and management in the near future.

In recent years, increasing emphasis has been given to research efforts aiming at a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying OPMD and OSCC development and progression. Specifically, discovering and validating novel diagnostic, prognostic and predictive markers, at the microscopic and/or molecular level, hold great promise for more successful prevention and management of oral premalignancy and cancer. In addition, some of the studied molecules may also serve as innovative treatment targets, increasing our therapeutic armamentarium.

In this lecture, the focus will be on molecular markers and targets that have been studied in the context of OPMDs. Selected markers shown to correlate with the presence and grade of epithelial dysplasia and the likelihood of recurrence or MT, as well as targets showing promise for chemoprevention of OPMDs, will be briefly discussed. The challenges and opportunities for future research and the potential for clinical applications will be highlighted.

Professor Nikolaos G. Nikitakis received his DDS and MD from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), Greece and his PhD from the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB), USA. He is Diplomate of the ABOMP and Fellow of the AAOMP and AAOM. He has also completed a sabbatical in the School of Dentistry and MD Anderson Cancer Center in the University of Texas, Houston (UTH), USA.

Prof. Nikitakis is currently Dean, as well as Professor and Chair, Department of Oral Medicine & Pathology and Hospital Dentistry, in the School of Dentistry, NKUA.

He is EAOM Immediate Past President, in which he served as Secretary General (2014-2018) and President (2018-2021). He is also currently President of the Hellenic Society of Oral Medicine and Oral Pathology (HSOMOP).

His clinical interests include the clinical and histopathologic diagnosis and management of oral and maxillofacial diseases. His research interests primarily focus on oral, head and neck oncology / cancer research.

He has over 350 peer-reviewed scientific publications with more than 3,200 citations and h index: 34 on Scopus (5,350 citations and h index: 43 on Google Scholar). He is author of a textbook in Contemporary Oral Medicine and Pathology and of several chapters in other textbooks and handbooks. He serves in the Editorial Board of various scientific journals.

He has presented and lectured extensively in national and international meetings and has been invited as Visiting Professor/Lecturer in several Universities in Europe and America. For his scientific work, he has received several honors and awards.