Abstract

Background: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a well-known malignancy with diverse clinicopathological behavior and high mortality rate. It has great tendency to undergo lymph node metastasis. Its metastatic spread is highly regulated and entails the interplay of several factors released from cancer cells as well as stromal cells. Lipocalin-2 (LCN-2) is a secreted glycoprotein characterized by its involvement in inflammation, infection and cancer. Its role in oral cancer progression remains elusive. LCN-2 tends to form a complex with matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), a well-known regulator of tumor microenvironment, enhancing its tumorigenic activity.