Promising systemic immunotherapies in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

ABSTRACT: Patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) demonstrate poor survival and significant treatment morbidity with standard therapy. The immune profile in HNSCC, whether caused by carcinogen exposure or human papillomavirus (HPV), is notably immunosuppressive. Early clinical trials of immunotherapy in HNSCC were troubled by systemic toxicity or difficulties in local administration. Now, interest in immunotherapy has been revitalized by mechanistic insights into immune evasion by HNSCC, coupled to ongoing development of novel immunotherapies. This review will summarize immune escape mechanisms in HNSCC, namely downregulation of tumor antigen (TA) presentation, aberrant regulation of the signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) family, the immunosuppressive cytokin

SUBMITTER: Gildener-Leapman N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4861147 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature