Advances in Head and Neck Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy

  • 7,396

    Total downloads

  • 32k

    Total views and downloads

About this Research Topic

Submission closed

Background

Cancer immunotherapy (CIT) is among the most important developments in cancer treatment over the last two decades. Despite the impressive successes in CIT, the response in patients is often limited and short lived. This is mainly due to multiple tumour-mediated immune escape mechanisms in addition to the short-lived anti-tumour effect due to the exhaustion and terminal differentiation of tumour-specific CD8 T cells.

The incidence of Head and Neck cancer varies between countries depending on risk factors. Overall, the incidence is on the rise which is attributed to changes in alcohol and tobacco consumption and human papilloma virus (HPV) infection. The latter is particularly important among younger patients affected by this disease. Tumours positive for HPV over-express the viral E6 and E7 antigens which can be recognized by the immune system and can therefore be used as targets for initiation of immune responses and effective immunotherapy. Recent studies suggest that the T cells responsible for tumor regression in HPV positive tumors do not recognize viral antigens but rather tumor neoantigens or germline antigens. Promising anti-tumour efficacy in murine HPV16 E7 antigen-expressing tumour model, using different formulations of E7 peptide vaccines has been reported. This therapeutic efficacy can be significantly enhanced when combined with different immune modulators such as small molecule inhibitors (e.g. PI3k-Akt pathway inhibitors), together with antibodies or molecules that target immune checkpoint inhibitors (such as PD-1, PDL-1 and CTLA-4) or agonize co-stimulatory molecules (such as OX40 and GITR). Alternatively a strategy of depleting suppressive myeloid cells produced improved T cell responses both in patients and animal models. These combination immune therapies might provide a promising treatment for HPV positive head and neck cancers as well as other HPV positive malignancies.

Despite the great excitement and important clinical benefit associated with agents that target the interaction of PD-1 and PD-L1 the majority of patients do not benefit from this therapy. Agonistic T cell antibodies directed at GITR and OX-40 have entered clinical trials and exciting results in preclinical animal models await clinical translation.
HPV antigens are just an example of a wide array of antigens aberrantly expressed in head and neck cancers. Therefore, cancer immune therapies, whether vaccine or cell therapy based provide a rich field of study and indeed great potential in providing curative personalized therapies for many patients suffering from these malignant diseases.

Several clinical trials that are testing the potential of cancer immunotherapy in head and neck cancers, and some of the FDA approved therapies for other malignancies are being adapted to these cancers. Additionally, multiple groups are studying the pre-clinical efficacy of new combinations while deciphering the exact mechanisms of action of various therapies.

There is great potential in combining different treatments including immunetherapeutics, cytotoxic chemotherapy and radiotherapy. It is therefore important to understand the interaction between different agents. Additionally, is important to assess the efficacy of different schedules when combining multiple immunotherapeutic agents (such as immune checkpoint inhibitors and cancer vaccines), in addition to traditional cytotoxic chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

The focus of this Research Topic is therefore the research being performed on head and neck cancers at the pre-clinical, translational and clinical levels. This can be in the form of original articles, systematic reviews, case reports and review articles.

The areas of interest include but are not limited to:

• Initial reports on clinical trials studying immune therapies in head and neck cancer patients (PD-1, PD-L1, and CTLA4 directed therapy; OX-40; GITR)
• Immune escape mechanisms in head and neck cancer
• HPV positive head and neck cancers as targets for immunotherapy
• Immune checkpoint inhibitors in head and neck cancer
• Biomarkers in head and neck cancer
• Different vaccine formulations in head and neck cancer
• Immune modulation in head and neck cancer
• Combination therapy using immune-radiotherapy
• The interaction between cancer immunotherapy and cytotoxic chemotherapy
• Sequencing treatment when combining different cancer therapeutics
• Identification of targets for immune therapy in head and neck cancer
• T cell directed therapy for HPV positive malignancies

Research Topic Research topic image

Keywords: Head and Neck cancer, Cancer Immunology, immunotherapy, HPV, immune checkpoints

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

Frequently asked questions

  • Frontiers' Research Topics are collaborative hubs built around an emerging theme.Defined, managed, and led by renowned researchers, they bring communities together around a shared area of interest to stimulate collaboration and innovation.

    Unlike section journals, which serve established specialty communities, Research Topics are pioneer hubs, responding to the evolving scientific landscape and catering to new communities.

  • The goal of Frontiers' publishing program is to empower research communities to actively steer the course of scientific publishing. Our program was implemented as a three-part unit with fixed field journals, flexible specialty sections, and dynamically emerging Research Topics, connecting communities of different sizes and maturity.

    Research Topics originate from the scientific community. Many of our Research Topics are suggested by existing editorial board members who have identified critical challenges or areas of interest in their field.

  • As an editor, Research Topics will help you build your journal, as well as your community, around emerging, cutting-edge research. As research trailblazers, Research Topics attract high-quality submissions from leading experts all over the world.

    A thriving Research Topic can potentially evolve into a new specialty section if there is sustained interest and a growing community around it.

  • Each Research Topic must be approved by the specialty chief editor, and it falls under the editorial oversight of our editorial boards, supported by our in-house research integrity team. The same standards and rigorous peer review processes apply to articles published as part of a Research Topic as for any other article we publish.

    In 2023, 80% of the Research Topics we published were edited or co-edited by our editorial board members, who are already familiar with their journal's scope, ethos, and publishing model. All other topics are guest edited by leaders in their field, each vetted and formally approved by the specialty chief editor.

  • Publishing your article within a Research Topic with other related articles increases its discoverability and visibility, which can lead to more views, downloads, and citations. Research Topics grow dynamically as more published articles are added, causing frequent revisiting, and further visibility.

    As Research Topics are multidisciplinary, they are cross-listed in several fields and section journals – increasing your reach even more and giving you the chance to expand your network and collaborate with researchers in different fields, all focusing on expanding knowledge around the same important topic.

    Our larger Research Topics are also converted into ebooks and receive social media promotion from our digital marketing team.

  • Frontiers offers multiple article types, but it will depend on the field and section journals in which the Research Topic will be featured. The available article types for a Research Topic will appear in the drop-down menu during the submission process.

    Check available article types here 

  • Yes, we would love to hear your ideas for a topic. Most of our Research Topics are community-led and suggested by researchers in the field. Our in-house editorial team will contact you to talk about your idea and whether you’d like to edit the topic. If you’re an early-stage researcher, we will offer you the opportunity to coordinate your topic, with the support of a senior researcher as the topic editor. 

    Suggest your topic here 

  • A team of guest editors (called topic editors) lead their Research Topic. This editorial team oversees the entire process, from the initial topic proposal to calls for participation, the peer review, and final publications.

    The team may also include topic coordinators, who help the topic editors send calls for participation, liaise with topic editors on abstracts, and support contributing authors. In some cases, they can also be assigned as reviewers.

  • As a topic editor (TE), you will take the lead on all editorial decisions for the Research Topic, starting with defining its scope. This allows you to curate research around a topic that interests you, bring together different perspectives from leading researchers across different fields and shape the future of your field. 

    You will choose your team of co-editors, curate a list of potential authors, send calls for participation and oversee the peer review process, accepting or recommending rejection for each manuscript submitted.

  • As a topic editor, you're supported at every stage by our in-house team. You will be assigned a single point of contact to help you on both editorial and technical matters. Your topic is managed through our user-friendly online platform, and the peer review process is supported by our industry-first AI review assistant (AIRA).

  • If you’re an early-stage researcher, we will offer you the opportunity to coordinate your topic, with the support of a senior researcher as the topic editor. This provides you with valuable editorial experience, improving your ability to critically evaluate research articles and enhancing your understanding of the quality standards and requirements for scientific publishing, as well as the opportunity to discover new research in your field, and expand your professional network.

  • Yes, certificates can be issued on request. We are happy to provide a certificate for your contribution to editing a successful Research Topic.

  • Research Topics thrive on collaboration and their multi-disciplinary approach around emerging, cutting-edge themes, attract leading researchers from all over the world.

  • As a topic editor, you can set the timeline for your Research Topic, and we will work with you at your pace. Typically, Research Topics are online and open for submissions within a few weeks and remain open for participation for 6 – 12 months. Individual articles within a Research Topic are published as soon as they are ready.

    Find out more about our Research Topics

  • Our fee support program ensures that all articles that pass peer review, including those published in Research Topics, can benefit from open access – regardless of the author's field or funding situation.

    Authors and institutions with insufficient funding can apply for a discount on their publishing fees. A fee support application form is available on our website.

  • In line with our mission to promote healthy lives on a healthy planet, we do not provide printed materials. All our articles and ebooks are available under a CC-BY license, so you can share and print copies.

Participating Journals

Impact

  • 32kTopic views
  • 21kArticle views
  • 7,396Article downloads
View impact