Summary
Abstract Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) patients have a dismal survival rate due to distant metastases that escape primary care. Transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) is a well-known driver of metastasis, modulator of immune cell activity, and regulator of extracellular matrix (ECM) genes. In breast cancer, a stiff ECM is generally attributed to excess type I collagen deposition and crosslinking that promotes cancer cell metastasis and cancer stem cell (CSC) expansion. In OSCC, a consensus has not been reached on whether a stiff or soft ECM increases metastatic potential and CSC expansio
