HPV Infection of the Head and Neck Region and Its Stem Cells.
The human papillomavirus (HPV) is an etiologic agent associated with the development of head and neck squamous carcinoma (HNSCC)-in particular, oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. The HPV-positive HNSCC is characterized by genetic alterations, clinical progression, and therapeutic response, which are distinct from HPV-negative head and neck cancers, suggesting that virus-associated tumors constitute a unique entity among head and neck cancers. Malignant stem cells, or cancer stem cells, are a subpopulation of tumor cells that self-renew, initiate new tumors upon transplantation, and are resistant to therapy, and their discovery has revealed novel effects of oncovirus infection in cancer. In this review, we provide a virus-centric view and novel insights into HPV-positive head and neck pathogenesis. We discuss the influence of cancer stem cells, HPV oncoproteins, altered molecular pathways, and mutations in cancer initiation and cancer progression. We compiled a catalogue of the mutations associated with HPV-positive HNSCC, which may be a useful resource for genomic-based studies aiming to develop personalized therapies. We also explain recent changes in mass vaccination campaigns against HPV and the potential long-term impact of vaccinations on the prevention and treatment of HPV-positive head and neck cancers.
Laboratory of Epithelial Biology, Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine, University of Michigan School of Dentistry, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
A N
AN
Pullos
Laboratory of Epithelial Biology, Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine, University of Michigan School of Dentistry, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
R M
RM
Castilho
Laboratory of Epithelial Biology, Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine, University of Michigan School of Dentistry, Ann Arbor, MI, USA University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, MI, USA csquariz@umich.edu.
C H
CH
Squarize
D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000209:etiology / Q000821:virology; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000502:physiology; D006257:Head / Q000821:virology; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D009333:Neck / Q000821:virology; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology / Q000821:virology; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*
D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines
HPV vaccine; cancer stem cells; head and neck cancer; molecular sequence data; mutation; oral cancer