A new study suggests beta-human papillomavirus (beta-HPV) may be more dangerous than previously thought, as it can hijack the body’s cells to drive cancer growth. Researchers analyzed a 34-year-old woman with recurring skin cancer and found that beta-HPV had integrated itself into her tumor’s DNA, producing viral proteins that helped cancer thrive.
The patient suffered from an inherited immune disorder that prevented her T cells from attacking HPV, allowing the virus to invade her skin cells and trigger cancer. However, after receiving a bone marrow stem cell transplant, which replaced her dysfunctional T cells with healthy ones, the aggressive skin cancer cleared up.
The study highlights the need for targeted, personalized cancer treatments and suggests that beta-HPV may be responsible for more cases of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) in people with weakened immune systems. The discovery could lead to improved survival rates and recovery from cSCC.
This new research builds on progress made against a related disease caused by alpha-HPV, which has been linked to cervical and throat cancers. Widespread vaccination efforts have led to a significant drop in deaths from those cancers.
Source: https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-discover-a-viral-cause-of-one-of-the-worlds-most-common-cancers