Immune checkpoints pathways in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a heterogeneous group of tumors usually diagnosed at an advanced stage and characterized by a poor prognosis. The main risk factors associated with its development include tobacco and alcohol consumption and Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infections. The...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Veigas, Florencia, Mahmoud, Yamil Damián, Merlo, Joaquín Pedro, Rinflerch, Adriana Raquel, Rabinovich, Gabriel Adrián, Girotti, María Romina
Format: article
Status:Published version
Publication Date:2021
Country:Argentina
Institution:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
Repository:CONICET Digital (CONICET)
Language:English
OAI Identifier:oai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/172106
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/11336/172106
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:HEAD AND NECK CANCER
IMMUNE CHECKPOINT
IMMUNE INFILTRATE
IMMUNOTHERAPY
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.6
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1
Description
Summary:Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a heterogeneous group of tumors usually diagnosed at an advanced stage and characterized by a poor prognosis. The main risk factors associated with its development include tobacco and alcohol consumption and Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infections. The immune system has a significant role in the oncogenesis and evolution of this cancer type. Notably, the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment triggers immune escape through several mechanisms. The improved understanding of the antitumor immune response in solid tumors and the role of the immune checkpoint molecules and other immune regulators have led to the development of novel therapeutic strategies that revolutionized the clinical management of HNSCC. However, the limited overall response rate to immunotherapy urges identifying predictive biomarkers of response and resistance to treatment. Here, we review the role of the immune system and immune checkpoint pathways in HNSCC, the most relevant clinical findings linked to immunotherapeutic strategies and predictive biomarkers of response and future treatment perspectives.