The Use of Immune Regulation in Treating Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC)

• Published in: Cells (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 13; no. 5; p. 413
• Main Authors: Wang, Che-Wei, Biswas, Pulak Kumar, Islam, Atikul, Chen, Mu-Kuan, Chueh, Pin Ju
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 27.02.2024; MDPI
• Subjects: Apoptosis; Cancer therapies; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - etiology; Care and treatment; Cell death; Cell therapy; Chemotherapy; Clinical trials; CTLA-4 protein; Cytokines; Cytotoxicity; Dendritic cells; Development and progression; Diagnosis; Dosage and administration; Head & neck cancer; Head and neck cancer; Head and neck carcinoma; Head and Neck Neoplasms; head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC); Human papillomavirus; Humans; Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors; Immune response; Immune system; Immunoregulation; Immunotherapy; Immunotherapy - adverse effects; Lymphocytes; Lymphocytes T; Medical prognosis; Metastasis; Monoclonal antibodies; Neck; oral carcinoma; Patients; PD-1 protein; programmed cell death protein 1; programmed death ligand-1 (PD-1/PD-L1); Radiation therapy; Ratios; Regulation; Review; Squamous cell carcinoma; Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck; Testing; Tumor necrosis factor-TNF; Tumors; Taiwan; programmed cell death protein 1; cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4); head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC); immunotherapy; combination therapy; programmed death ligand-1 (PD-1/PD-L1); immune checkpoint inhibitors; oral carcinoma; tumor microenvironment
• ISSN: 2073-4409; 2073-4409
• DOI: 10.3390/cells13050413

Immunotherapy has emerged as a promising new treatment modality for head and neck cancer, offering the potential for targeted and effective cancer management. Squamous cell carcinomas pose significant challenges due to their aggressive nature and limited treatment options. Conventional therapies such as surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy often have limited success rates and can have significant side effects. Immunotherapy harnesses the power of the immune system to recognize and eliminate cancer cells, and thus represents a novel approach with the potential to improve patient outcomes. In the management of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), important contributions are made by immunotherapies, including adaptive cell therapy (ACT) and immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy. In this review, we are focusing on the latter. Immune checkpoint inhibitors target proteins such as programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) to enhance the immune response against cancer cells. The CTLA-4 inhibitors, such as ipilimumab and tremelimumab, have been approved for early-stage clinical trials and have shown promising outcomes in terms of tumor regression and durable responses in patients with advanced HNSCC. Thus, immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy holds promise in overcoming the limitations of conventional therapies. However, further research is needed to optimize treatment regimens, identify predictive biomarkers, and overcome potential resistance mechanisms. With ongoing advancements in immunotherapy, the future holds great potential for transforming the landscape of oral tumor treatment and providing new hope for patients.