Evaluation of Alcohol, Tobacco, and HPV’s Synergistic Regulation of HNSCC’s Potential Treatment Response to PD-L1 Checkpoint Inhibitor Treatment
- Xin, Ruomin;
- Mokhashi, Omar;
- Abdi, Miski;
- Chhabra, Riya;
- Duan, Ling;
- Sun, Alanna;
- John, Daniel;
- Li, Wei Tse;
- Wang-Rodriguez, Jessica;
- Ongkeko, Weg M
Published Web Location
https://doi.org/10.1158/1538-7445.AM2025-2352Abstract
Honorable Mention 2025 Life & Health Sciences Category, nominated by Weg M. Ongkeko (Department of Surgery)
Enhanced PD-L1 (Programmed Death-Ligand 1) expression in tumor cells aids the evasion of immune surveillance. Nivolumab and pembrolizumab, PD-L1 blockade agents, have been applied in clinical settings to treat Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC), yet low response rates, unimproved prognosis, and treatment resistance necessitate further research into the underlying molecular mechanism. While alcohol, tobacco, and HPV exposure are the most prominent risk factors responsible for HNSCC pathogenesis, their synergistic influence on PD-L1 blockade treatment responses is largely unknown. In this study, we characterized how different combinations of the three etiologic factors alters the molecular landscape of HNSCC, influencing either favorable or adverse PD-L1 blockade treatment outcomes.
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