STING activation enhances cetuximab-mediated NK cell activation and DC maturation and correlates with HPV+ status in head and neck cancer

HNSCC is the sixth leading cancer by incidence worldwide. The etiology of HNSCC can be divided in two groups, tobacco and alcohol related and HPV related. HPV is a circular double-stranded DNA virus that can integrate into host DNA, and can inactivate tumor suppressor proteins p53 and retinoblastoma protein (pRb) by expression of viral E6 and E7, respectively [1,2]. The presence of high risk subtypes of HPV in tumor cells, including HPV type 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, and 58, has identified a subgroup of HNSCC patients with a better prognosis [3,4] and better chemoradiotherapy response [5,6].

Source: Oral Oncology - February 6, 2018 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Shanhong Lu, Fernando Concha-Benavente, Gulidanna Shayan, Raghvendra M. Srivastava, Sandra P. Gibson, Lin Wang, William E. Gooding, Robert L. Ferris Source Type: research