In a recent study, scientists made an interesting discovery that the interactions between cigarette smoke and Human Papillomavirus (HPV) can pose an additive risk for causing head and neck cancer. The study was performed by a group of Chilean and Brazilian scientists. It was published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences in April 2023.
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Scan of Head and Neck Cancer
Why was this study done?
In medicine, tobacco smoke and HPV are known risk factors for head and neck cancers, and they have been known to cause cancer independently. However, their combined role in enhancing cancer risk and facilitating oncogenesis (cancer development) has not been studied thoroughly.
What did the researchers aim at?
In the published study, scientists aimed to explore the interactions between HPV and cigarette smoke in causing cancers and regulating their progression.
They analyzed the levels of superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2), a biomarker closely linked to oral cancer. Additionally, they examined the extent of DNA damage to better understand the role these factors play in causing mouth cancer. (both SOD2 and DNA damage indicate oxidative stress in cells and are indicators of a cancerous process).
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How did the researchers study the HPV and cigarette smoke interactions?
Initially, the researchers studied the role of cigarette smoke and HPV interaction in increasing risks for oral cancer in laboratory conditions.
They analyzed oral cells with oncoproteins HPV16 E6 and E7 and which had also been exposed to cigarette smoke. They observed lower levels of SOD2 and less DNA damage in the control cells.
They also made an intriguing discovery during their research: cells exposed to cigarette smoke and expressing oncoproteins displayed the highest levels of SOD2 and DNA damage, surpassing cells that either expressed oncoproteins alone or were solely exposed to cigarette smoke. Scientists concluded that this shows a heightened risk for oral cancer due to the interaction of HPV and cigarette smoke.
Secondly, the researchers used 613 samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas to analyze genomic data. They were able to corroborate their findings while analyzing SOD2 transcriptions.
Importance of the study
The researchers explained that these laboratory studies create an understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in oncogenesis and enable the scientists to understand the mechanisms involved in complex model situations.
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Furthermore, the scientists highlight the significance of their findings by mentioning that they were able to bridge the gap between laboratory findings and their applications in the real world by utilizing the Cancer Genomic Atlas data that contained genomic data of human samples.
Future direction:
In the future, the team of researchers plans to study more complex models to understand further layers of complexities involved in HPV-related oncogenesis. They also aim to study the role of these mechanisms in regulating disease outcomes.
Why is studying head and neck cancer pathogenesis important?
Head and neck cancer presents a considerable challenge in terms of number of cases per year and people who die because of it. In the past, smoking tobacco, indulging in alcohol, and neglecting oral hygiene were big culprits when it came to increasing the risk of developing this particular type of cancer. However, HPV is becoming an increasingly important risk factor for head and neck cancer in younger populations in recent decades. Around 830000 people suffered from head and neck cancers in 2020 globally, with a mortality rate of 50%.
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How can this study help prevent and treat head and neck cancers?
This study highlights the key role of interactions between HPV and cigarette smoke in driving a synergistic effect to cause head and neck cancers. It pushes the focus on the summative effect of both of these risk factors instead of a focus on studying them individually. This can potentially highlight new mechanisms which can be targeted in analyzing cancer development and progression as well as providing a target for developing new drugs for these types of cancers.
References
Carrillo-Beltrán, D., Osorio, J. C., Blanco, R., Oliva, C., Boccardo, E., & Aguayo, F. (2023). Interaction between Cigarette Smoke and Human Papillomavirus 16 E6/E7 Oncoproteins to Induce SOD2 Expression and DNA Damage in Head and Neck Cancer. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 24(8), 6907. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24086907
