Department of Otolaryngology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center-Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
Viruses. 2023 May 31;15(6):1296. doi: 10.3390/v15061296.
Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are the causative agent of several anogenital cancers as well as head and neck cancers, with HPV+ head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) becoming a rapidly growing public health issue in the Western world. Due its viral etiology and potentially its subanatomical location, HPV+ HNSCC exhibits an immune microenvironment which is more inflamed and thus distinct from HPV-negative HNSCC. Notably, the antigenic landscape in most HPV+ HNSCC tumors extends beyond the classical HPV oncoproteins E6/7 and is extensively targeted by both the humoral and cellular arms of the adaptive immune system. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of HPV-specific immune responses in patients with HPV+ HNSCC. We highlight the localization, antigen specificity, and differentiation states of humoral and cellular immune responses, and discuss their similarities and differences. Finally, we review currently pursued immunotherapeutic treatment modalities that attempt to harness HPV-specific immune responses for improving clinical outcomes in patients with HPV+ HNSCC.
人乳头瘤病毒（HPV）是多种肛门生殖器癌以及头颈部癌症的致病因子，HPV+头颈部鳞状细胞癌（HNSCC）在西方世界已成为一个迅速增长的公共卫生问题。由于其病毒病因学及其潜在的亚解剖位置，HPV+ HNSCC 表现出更具炎症性的免疫微环境，与 HPV- HNSCC 不同。值得注意的是，大多数 HPV+ HNSCC 肿瘤中的抗原景观超出了经典的 HPV 致癌蛋白 E6/7，并被适应性免疫系统的体液和细胞臂广泛靶向。在这里，我们全面概述了 HPV+ HNSCC 患者的 HPV 特异性免疫反应。我们强调了体液和细胞免疫反应的定位、抗原特异性和分化状态，并讨论了它们的相似之处和不同之处。最后，我们回顾了目前正在探索的免疫治疗方法，这些方法试图利用 HPV 特异性免疫反应来改善 HPV+ HNSCC 患者的临床结果。
