Toll-like receptor 5 (TLR5) is an pattern recognition receptor expressed by several cells of the immune system that recognizes bacterial flagellin. We studied the influence of TLR5 in oral tongue squamous carcinoma and found that its expression levels predict patient survival and recurrence. Considering the role of microbiome in oral cancer, TLR5 may represent an important link between bacteria and oral oncogenesis.
Keywords: Toll-like receptor 5; carcinoma; oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma.