A new age in oral cancer treatment: Advancing research to improve survival and quality of life
Oral cancer remains one of the most challenging diseases to treat, with survival rates showing little improvement over the past several decades. Its impact on survivors can be profound and lasting. That urgency has driven bold innovation at the crossroads of surgery, immunology, and tissue engineering. We spoke with Simon Young, DDS, MD, PhD, about his work in this field and its potential to save and improve lives.
Q: What inspired your research focus on oral cancers?
A: As an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, I’ve seen firsthand the devastating effects of these cancers—not only the disease itself but also the consequences of treatment. While advances in surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation have improved certain outcomes, survival rates for oral squamous cell carcinoma remain largely unchanged. Patients often face disfigurement, functional loss, and diminished quality of life.
Q: Can you tell us about your current research on biomaterials-based cancer immunotherapy?
A: We designed a hydrogel, called STINGel, that delivers molecules directly into the tumor that stimulate the immune system to attack it. This approach can not only directly kill tumors but also make resistant tumors more sensitive to other immunotherapies. We are constantly modifying the STINGel to enhance its effectiveness.
Our team is also collaborating with Rice University on developing “micro-cytokine factories.” This project focuses on cytokines, natural molecules created by immune cells that are extremely effective cancer-killers. Cytokines are so powerful that they can be extremely toxic and sometimes lethal if simply injected into the body. We are developing hydrogel-encapsulated living cell “factories” that can be implanted directly into tumors to locally produce cytokines that stimulate anti-tumor immune responses. We are excited about the potential of this approach and are working toward advancing it into early-phase, FDA-regulated clinical testing in head and neck cancer.
Q: How does your work with bone regeneration connect to cancer research?
A: The common thread in all our projects is regeneration, whether that’s regenerating tissue after surgery or “regenerating” the immune response to fight cancer. After tumor removal, patients often face large defects in bone and soft tissue that are extremely difficult to reconstruct.
We’re developing antioxidant-based materials that stabilize fractures, reduce oxidative stress, and accelerate bone healing by stimulating the body’s cells. Our ultimate goal is implantable, 3D-printed devices that adapt to complex craniofacial wounds—promoting faster, stronger healing with fewer complications.
Q: You’re also studying treatments for dry mouth, a serious quality-of-life issue. What is that work about?
A: Saliva is easy to take for granted, but without it, eating, speaking, and swallowing become extremely difficult. For patients with jaw cancer, radiation treatment is like a sword; it pierces to the site of the tumor and kills everything along the way, including salivary glands. That means cancer patients can develop chronic dry mouth, which is a pretty difficult condition to live with.
We’re using stem cells to create lab-grown salivary gland constructs that could one day restore natural saliva production. While clinical trials are still a few years away, this work is especially exciting because current options for chronic dry mouth are very limited.
Q: How has philanthropic support, including the Graham Family Scholar program and the Young Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Research Professorship, advanced your work?
A: Early studies are required to show that new ideas can work before they qualify for multimillion-dollar NIH grants, but funding those initial studies is often the biggest challenge. Endowments help bridge that gap by providing critical early support, like our cytokine factory study.
There is no shortage of promising solutions for head and neck cancer; the main bottleneck is funding. Every philanthropic dollar helps us turn discoveries into treatments, translating research from the bench to the bedside so patients can not only survive cancer, but also regain function, confidence, and quality of life.