Words by Jade Williams
A recent study of a 34-year-old woman with beta-HPV has uncovered a potential link between the virus and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC), suggesting that it may directly cause cancer growth in certain patients.
Beta-HPV has typically been considered a minor factor in skin cancer, believed to exacerbate the effects of UV damage in rare cases, rather than acting as a direct cause. However, that view may now change, as genetic testing has revealed that beta-HPV can insert itself into the DNA of tumour cells and actively produce proteins that help cancer to grow.
More support for this theory came from the patient’s response to treatment. She underwent a stem cell transplant to restore healthy T cell function in her immune system. After this, both her skin cancer and other HPV-related symptoms completely disappeared and did not return in the three years that followed.
This case highlights a previously unknown mechanism of cancer development and raises important questions for drug developers. If beta-HPV can directly drive cancer, it could represent a new therapeutic target, particularly for the treatment of cSCC cases that don’t respond to the current standard of care.
Commenting in a press release, Andrea Lisco, Immunologist, US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, confirmed the potential: “This discovery could completely change how we think about the development, and consequently the treatment, of cSCC in people who have a health condition that compromises immune function.”
