MINI REVIEW article
Front. Immunol.
Sec. Cancer Immunity and Immunotherapy
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2025.1601572
This article is part of the Research TopicHarnessing Molecular Insights for Enhanced Drug Sensitivity and Immunotherapy in CancerView all 36 articles
Lymphatic dissemination of HPV-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC): underlying mechanisms and treatment innnovations
Provisionally accepted
- 1School of Medicine, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- 2Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University,, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
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Cancers, with its rising incidence strongly linked to human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, particularly HPV16. HPV-induced OPSCC (HPV-OPSCC) exhibits distinct biological behaviors, including a high propensity for early lymphatic metastasis, occurring in most of cases, often presenting as cystic lymph node changes. The rising incidence of HPV-positive OPSCC is associated with specific mechanisms, particularly the characteristic biological behaviors driven by the E6/E7 oncoproteins: E7 disrupts cell cycle control by degrading pRb protein, while E6 inhibits apoptotic pathways through ubiquitination-mediated degradation of p53. Despite advances in treatment, HPV-OPSCC poses unique challenges due to its complex tumor microenvironment and immune interactions. Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) within the tumor microenvironment play a critical role in modulating anti-tumor immunity, correlating with improved clinical outcomes. Recent advances in immunotherapy, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors and HPV-specific vaccines, have shown promise in enhancing patient survival. This review explores the mechanisms of HPV-driven carcinogenesis, the clinical and molecular features of lymphatic metastasis, and the emerging role of TLS and immunotherapeutic strategies in HPV-OPSCC. By analyzing existing evidence, this review seeks to clarify the distinct biological features of HPV-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HPV-OPSCC) and guide the development of novel treatment strategies aimed at enhancing clinical outcomes for patients. (OPSCC)
Keywords: oropharyngeal carcinoma, Human papillomavirus, Lymphatic Metastasis, immune microenvironment, Immunotherapy
Received: 28 Mar 2025; Accepted: 19 May 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 LI, Qiu and Wu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Hui Qiu, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University,, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
Qiuji Wu, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University,, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
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