口腔鳞状细胞癌（OSCC），是头颈部常见的恶性肿瘤，由于肿瘤复发率、颈淋巴结转移率和缺乏有效的全身治疗手段，其对个体健康的不良影响在全世界癌症中排名第六。该疾病的预后较差，死亡率较高。八聚体结合转录因子4（OCT4）是Pit-Oct-Unc（POU）家族的成员，是一种关键的重新编程因子，对于保持胚胎干细胞（ESCs）的多能性和自我更新状态产生明显的影响。根据最近的研究，OCT4参与维持OSCC癌干细胞（CSCs）的生存，这对于口腔癌的发生、复发、转移和预后具有深远的意义。因此，我们总结了OCT4的结构、亚型和功能，以及其在OSCC发生、进展和预后中的作用。

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), a common malignancy of the head and neck, ranks sixth worldwide in terms of cancers with the most negative impact, owing to tumor relapse rates, cervical lymphnode metastasis, and the lack of an efficacious systemic therapy. Its prognosis is poor, and its mortality rate is high. Octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (OCT4) is a member of the Pit-Oct-Unc (POU) family and is a key reprogramming factor that produces a marked effect in preserving the pluripotency and self-renewal state of embryonic stem cells (ESCs). According to recent studies, OCT4 participates in retaining the survival of OSCC cancer stem cells (CSCs), which has far-reaching implications for the occurrence, recurrence, metastasis, and prognosis of oral carcinogenesis. Therefore, we summarize the structure, subtypes, and function of OCT4 as well as its role in the occurrence, progression, and prognosis of OSCC.