Researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have made a groundbreaking discovery that a type of human papillomavirus (HPV) can directly cause skin cancer, known as cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC), when immune cells malfunction. The study challenges previous theories that HPV facilitates DNA mutations caused by ultraviolet radiation.
The research found that certain strains of beta-HPV, commonly found on the skin, can integrate into skin cells and multiply unchecked, leading to cSCC. However, it was not just the presence of HPV that led to cancer, but a defect in immune cells called T cells that allowed the virus to cause damage.
The discovery came from studying a 34-year-old woman with recurrent cSCC who had undergone multiple surgeries and immunotherapy without success. Genetic analysis revealed that beta-HPV was present in her tumor and producing viral proteins, contradicting previous theories.
Further investigation found that the woman’s inherited immune disorder was responsible for her worsening HPV-related diseases, including cSCC. Treating this disorder through a stem cell transplant led to the resolution of all her HPV-related diseases.
The study authors suggest that other people with defective T-cell responses may be susceptible to cancer caused directly by beta-HPV. This finding could completely change how we think about the development and treatment of cSCC in people with compromised immune function, offering new hope for those with aggressive forms of skin cancer.
Source: https://www.news-medical.net/news/20250730/Immunocompromised-people-susceptible-to-skin-cancer-caused-directly-by-beta-HPV.aspx