Zafar Marhama, Sweis Narjes, Kapoor Hitesh, Gantt Gerald
Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery, University of Illinois at Chicago, 840 S Wood Street, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.
Cancers (Basel). 2025 Apr 8;17(8):1260. doi: 10.3390/cancers17081260.
Human papillomavirus (HPV)-related lower genital cancers, including cervical cancer, anal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), vaginal cancer, vulvar cancer, and penile cancer, pose a significant health burden, with approximately 45,000 new cases diagnosed annually. Current effective treatment modalities include chemoradiotherapy, systemic chemotherapy, and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). The tumor microenvironment in HPV-related cancers is characterized by immune evasion mechanisms, including the modulation of immune checkpoints such as PD-L1/PD-1. HPV oncoproteins E5, E6, and E7 play crucial roles in this process, altering the expression of immune inhibitory molecules and the recruitment of immune cells. ICIs, such as programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) inhibitors, have shown efficacy in enhancing the immune response against HPV-associated tumors by blocking proteins that allow cancer cells to evade immune surveillance. Recent studies have demonstrated that HPV-positive tumors exhibit a more favorable response to ICI-based therapies compared to HPV-negative tumors. The integration of ICIs into treatment regimens for HPV-related cancers has been supported by several clinical trials. The inclusion of ICIs in the treatment approach for HPV-related lower genital cancers presents a promising opportunity for improving patient outcomes. Ongoing research and clinical trials are advancing our understanding of the immune microenvironment and the therapeutic potential of immunotherapy for these cancers.
人乳头瘤病毒(HPV)相关的下生殖道癌症,包括宫颈癌、肛门鳞状细胞癌(SCC)、阴道癌、外阴癌和阴茎癌,构成了重大的健康负担,每年约有45000例新病例被诊断出来。目前有效的治疗方式包括放化疗、全身化疗和免疫检查点抑制剂(ICI)。HPV相关癌症中的肿瘤微环境具有免疫逃逸机制,包括对免疫检查点如PD-L1/PD-1的调节。HPV癌蛋白E5、E6和E7在此过程中起关键作用,改变免疫抑制分子的表达和免疫细胞的募集。ICI,如程序性细胞死亡蛋白1(PD-1)抑制剂,已显示出通过阻断使癌细胞逃避免疫监视的蛋白质来增强针对HPV相关肿瘤的免疫反应的功效。最近的研究表明,与HPV阴性肿瘤相比,HPV阳性肿瘤对基于ICI的疗法表现出更有利的反应。ICI纳入HPV相关癌症的治疗方案已得到多项临床试验的支持。将ICI纳入HPV相关下生殖道癌症的治疗方法为改善患者预后提供了一个有前景的机会。正在进行的研究和临床试验正在推进我们对这些癌症的免疫微环境和免疫治疗潜力的理解。
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