Neutrophils are the predominant white blood cells (WBC) that are recruited to the sites of
inflammation and
infection. They are acknowledged to perform dual roles by promoting (pro-
tumor) or by exhibiting anti-
cancer properties (anti-
tumor). Neutrophils are characterized based on the changes in phenotype and functional properties. To this context, circulating polymorphonuclear neutrophils (
cPMN) and
tumor-associated neutrophils (TANs) in
cancer biology has been well explored but limited to oral polymorphonuclear neutrophils (oPMNs) in
oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). However, oPMNs are eminent in maintaining the healthy oral ecosystem by neutralizing microorganisms. Neutralization process enhances the expression of cell surface markers (CD11b, CD63, CD66, CD66b, CD66c, and CD66e) and inflammatory
cytokines (TNF-α, IFN-γ, GM-CSF, and IL-8) and increases the recruitment of neutrophils. Along with the
inflammation, it has been reported that
CEACAM1 and chemerin also favors the infiltration of neutrophils to the
cancer site. This indicates that oPMN might contribute to the aetiology of OSCC. The main objective of this review is to explore, the production and migration of oPMNs to the oral cavity, their phenotypes and possible role in OSCC.