Yuxuan Miao, PhD

More people are getting head and neck cancer caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). Traditional treatments like surgery or radiation can cause strong side effects. Sometimes, the cancer comes back. Because of this, doctors are looking for safer and better ways to treat these cancers. Immunotherapy is a newer treatment. It helps the body’s immune system find and destroy cancer cells. Some people with head and neck cancer do well with a type of immunotherapy called “immune checkpoint inhibitors.” But, patients whose cancer is caused by HPV usually do not benefit as much. A new immunotherapy called HB-200 is being tested. It is designed to help the immune system better find and attack cancer linked to HPV. Early studies show that HB-200 may work for patients with HPV-positive cancer, even if other treatments have not helped. Our research looks at tumor samples from people with and without HPV. All of these patients received different types of immunotherapy. We are using simple lab tests and special tools to learn why HPV-related cancers do not respond well to older treatments, but do respond to HB-200. Our goal is to make HB-200 better and find new ways to treat these cancers. We hope this will lead to better care and longer, healthier lives for patients.