HPV antigen-expressing tumor cell

HPV antigen-expressing tumor cells are a category of cancer cells—most frequently found in cervical, head and neck squamous cell carcinomas, and certain other anogenital cancers—that express viral proteins (most notably E6 and E7) derived from an oncogenic HPV infection. These viral antigens are presented on Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) molecules, making the cells susceptible to immune recognition and elimination. Immunotherapeutic strategies against these cells include vaccines targeting HPV antigens, adoptive T cell therapies, and immune checkpoint inhibitors. As a nomenclature, "HPV antigen-expressing tumor cell" is not a single molecular target, but rather a functional description and is therefore not suited for inclusion in structured molecular target databases.

Other names

HPV-positive tumor cellHPV+ cancer cellhuman papillomavirus antigen-expressing tumor cellHPV-associated tumor cell

Induction of immune response against HPV-specific antigens (E6/E7), enhancement of cytotoxic T lymphocyte activity, immune checkpoint blockade, therapeutic cancer vaccination