NIH Study Reveals Beta-HPV Directly Causes Skin Cancer in Immunocompromised Patients
What role might beta-HPV play in skin cancer among patients with weakened T-cell immunity?
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For the first time, researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have demonstrated that beta-human papillomavirus (beta-HPV), a common skin virus, can directly cause cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) in people with compromised immune systems. This challenges the longstanding belief that beta-HPV only facilitates UV-induced DNA mutations without directly sustaining cancer. The findings, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, may reshape understanding and treatment of cSCC, one of the most common skin cancers globally.
The NIH team studied a 34-year-old woman with recurrent, aggressive cSCC on her forehead, alongside other worsening HPV-related skin diseases. Contrary to prior assumptions, genetic analysis revealed that beta-HPV had integrated into her tumor’s DNA and actively produced viral proteins, suggesting the virus itself caused and maintained the cancer. Notably, her cells were competent in repairing UV-induced DNA damage, implicating viral oncogenesis rather than UV mutagenesis.
Further investigation linked the viral persistence to the patient’s inherited immune disorder impairing T-cell activation against beta-HPV infection. To address this, the NIH devised a personalized treatment involving stem cell transplantation to restore healthy T-cell function. The transplant was successful, resulting in resolution of all HPV-related diseases including the cSCC, with no recurrence after over three years.
“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,” said Andrea Lisco, MD, PhD, of NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
The study underscores the need for clinicians and laboratorians to consider immune dysfunction in patients with recurrent cSCC and points toward immune-targeted therapies as promising interventions.
Note: This news summary was generated by AI based on a published press release, followed by a review from human editors.