Odontogenic tumors - a saga of its genesis

In the field of oral pathology odontogenic tumors have been a topic of considerable interest for researchers, academicians and many budding inquisitive minds like ours. The earliest reports on odontogenic tumors date back to 1839 and in spite of researches over the decades the etiology and pathogenesis of this distinct group of jaw lesions is still incompletely understood. It is well established that odontogenic tumors arise from the epithelial and/or mesenchymal elements of the tooth forming apparatus. And along with epithelial-mesenchymal interactions there are molecular and genetic alterations associated with the development and progression of odontogenic tumors. Recently it has been proposed that various tumerogenic factors (initiators) like oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes, hard tissue related proteins and growth factors and tumor promoting factors (supporters) like MMP, TIMP, cell adhesion molecules, angiogenic factors and osteolytic factors, all play a role in synchrony towards the genesis of odontogenic tumors. We intend to outline the multi-step etiology and draw the future attention towards better understanding of odontogenic tumors. Keywords: odontogenic tumors, tumor initiators, tumor supporters