The most common cancer-causing strain of human papillomavirus, HPV16, undermines the body’s defenses by reprogramming immune cells surrounding the tumor, according to a preclinical study from researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. In mice, blocking this process boosted the ability of experimental treatments for HPV to eliminate cancer cells.
The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research awarded a $3 million grant to researchers from Henry Ford Health + Michigan State University Health Sciences to study new treatments for patients who have head-and-neck cancer caused by HPV.
