Advancing Immunotherapies for HPV-Related Cancers - Exploring Novel Vaccine Strategies and the Inﬂuence of Tumor Microenvironment

Sep 24, 2026

Uploaded by Bintang

The review examines how immunological responses connect with HPV-related cancers and how this knowledge supports therapeutic vaccine development for these malignancies. Emphasis is placed on the tumor microenvironment (TME) and its role in cancer progression, including dendritic cells as central antigen-presenting cells and tumor-associated macrophages whose M1/M2 profiles can shape prognosis. It surveys TME-focused immunotherapy targets and strategies for HPV-positive tumors such as cervical and head and neck cancers, including checkpoint inhibitors, cytokine immunotherapies, vaccine approaches, and cell therapies.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages26

Reading Time1 h 6 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Keywords

Introduction

Review Advancing Immunotherapies for HPV-Related Cancers: Exploring Novel Vaccine Strategies and the Inﬂuence of Tumor Microenvironment Anna J²ssica Duarte Silva †, Ingrid Andr¶ssa de Moura †, Marco Antonio Turiah Machado da Gama , L½gia Rosa Sales Leal, Samara Sousa de Pinho, Benigno Cristofer Flores Espinoza , Daffany Luana dos Santos, Vanessa Emanuelle Pereira Santos, Matheus Gardini Amancio Marques De Sena, Maria Da Conceiç¢o Viana Invenç¢o , Larissa Silva de Mac¶do , Pedro Luiz de França Neto and Antonio Carlos de Freitas * Citation: Silva, A.J.D.; Moura, I.A.d.; Gama, M.A.T.M.d.; Leal, L.R.S.; Pinho, S.S.d.; Espinoza, B.C.F.; Santos, D.L.d.; Santos, V.E.P.; Sena, M.G.A.M.D.; Invenção, M.D.C.V.; et al. Advancing Immunotherapies for HPV-Related Cancers: Exploring Novel Vaccine Strategies and the Inﬂuence of Tumor Microenvironment. Vaccines 2023, 11, 1354. [https://doi.org/10.3390/](https://doi.org/10.3390/)[ ](https://doi.org/10.3390/)vaccines11081354 Academic Editors: Mattia Dominoni, Barbara Gardella and Vita Golubovskaya Received: 28 June 2023 Revised: 27 July 2023 Accepted: 8 August 2023 Published: 11 August 2023 Copyright: © 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license ([https://](https://)[ ](https://)[creativecommons.org/licenses/by/](creativecommons.org/licenses/by/)[ ](creativecommons.org/licenses/by/)[4.0/](4.0/)) . Laboratory of Molecular Studies and Experimental Therapy—LEMTE, Department of Genetics, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife 50670-901, Brazil; [anna.jessica@ufpe.br](anna.jessica@ufpe.br) (A.J.D.S.); [ingrid.andressa@ufpe.br](ingrid.andressa@ufpe.br) (I.A.d.M.); [marco.turiah@ufpe.br](marco.turiah@ufpe.br) (M.A.T.M.d.G.); [ligia.leal@ufpe.br](ligia.leal@ufpe.br) (L.R.S.L.); [samara.pinho@ufpe.br](samara.pinho@ufpe.br) (S.S.d.P.); [benigno.cristofer@ufpe.br](benigno.cristofer@ufpe.br) (B.C.F.E.); [daffany.luana@ufpe.br](daffany.luana@ufpe.br) (D.L.d.S.); [vanessa.emanuelle@ufpe.br](vanessa.emanuelle@ufpe.br) (V.E.P.S.); [matheus.gardini@ufpe.br](matheus.gardini@ufpe.br) (M.G.A.M.D.S.); [maria.conceicao@ufpe.br](maria.conceicao@ufpe.br) (M.D.C.V.I.); [larissa.smacedo@ufpe.br](larissa.smacedo@ufpe.br) (L.S.d.M.); [pedro.francaneto@ufpe.br](pedro.francaneto@ufpe.br) (P.L.d.F.N.) * Correspondence: [antonio.cfreitas@ufpe.br](antonio.cfreitas@ufpe.br); Tel.: +55-8199-6067-671 † These authors contributed equally to this work. Abstract: The understanding of the relationship between immunological responses and cancers, especially those related to HPV, has allowed for the study and development of therapeutic vaccines against these neoplasias. There is a growing number of studies about the composition and inﬂuence of the tumor microenvironment (TME) in the progression or establishment of the most varied types of cancer. Hence, it has been possible to structure immunotherapy approaches based on therapeutic vaccines that are even more speciﬁc and directed to components of TME and the immune response associated with tumors. Among these components are dendritic cells (DCs), which are the main professional antigen-presenting cells (APCs) already studied in therapy strategies for HPV-related cancers. On the other hand, tumor-associated macrophages are also potential targets since the proﬁle present in tumor inﬁltrates, M1 or M2, inﬂuences the prognosis of some types of cancer. These two cell types can be targets for therapy or immunomodulation. In this context, our review aims to provide an overview of immunotherapy strategies for HPV-positive tumors, such as cervical and head and neck cancers, pointing to TME immune cells as promising targets for these approaches. This review also explores the potential of immunotherapy in cancer treatment, including checkpoint inhibitors, cytokine immunotherapies, immunotherapy vaccines, and cell ther

FAQs

What is the main focus of the review on HPV-related cancers?

The review focuses on immunotherapy approaches, especially therapeutic vaccine strategies, and how they can be directed toward components and immune responses within the tumor microenvironment (TME).

Which TME-related immune cell types are highlighted as promising targets?

Dendritic cells are emphasized as key professional antigen-presenting cells, and tumor-associated macrophages are highlighted because their infiltrate profiles (M1 or M2) can influence cancer prognosis.

What immunotherapy modalities are discussed beyond vaccine strategies?

The review addresses checkpoint inhibitors, cytokine immunotherapies, immunotherapy vaccines, and cell therapies, while stressing the importance of understanding the TME for designing effective treatments.

Sep 24, 2026

Uploaded by Bintang