Roles of Mitochondria in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Therapy: Friend or Foe?

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Although many therapies have been applied in oral squamous cell carcinoma, these therapies are still unsatisfactory. Recently, the mitochondrial role in oral squamous cell carcinoma therapy has appeared, but related researches are limited and there are no related reviews from which to extract and condense such studies. Therefore, expatiating those studies is beneficial for us to comprehend the role of mitochondria in OSCC therapy and to derive a better outcome from it, even providing direction for other cancer therapies. ABSTRACT: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) therapy is unsatisfactory, and the prevalence of the disease is increasing. The role of mitochondria in OSCC therapy has recently attracted increasing attention, however, many mechanisms remain unclear. Therefore, we elaborate upon relative studies in this review to achieve a better therapeutic effect of OSCC treatment in the future. Interestingly, we found that mitochondria not only contribute to OSCC therapy but also promote resistance, and targeting the mitochondria of OSCC via nanoparticles is a promising way to treat OSCC.