HPV Meets APOBEC: New Players in Head and Neck Cancer

• Main Authors: Giuseppe Riva, Camilla Albano, Francesca Gugliesi, Selina Pasquero, Sergio Fernando Castillo Pacheco, Giancarlo Pecorari, Santo Landolfo, Matteo Biolatti, Valentina Dell’Oste
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-01-01
• Series: International Journal of Molecular Sciences
• Subjects: human papillomavirus; head and neck cancer; APOBEC; cytidine deaminase; squamous cell carcinoma
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/22/3/1402

Besides smoking and alcohol, human papillomavirus (HPV) is a factor promoting head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). In some human tumors, including HNSCC, a number of mutations are caused by aberrantly activated DNA-modifying enzymes, such as the apolipoprotein B mRNA editing enzyme catalytic polypeptide-like (APOBEC) family of cytidine deaminases. As the enzymatic activity of APOBEC proteins contributes to the innate immune response to viruses, including HPV, the role of APOBEC proteins in HPV-driven head and neck carcinogenesis has recently gained increasing attention. Ongoing research efforts take the cue from two key observations: (1) APOBEC expression depends on HPV infection status in HNSCC; and (2) APOBEC activity plays a major role in HPV-positive HNSCC mutagenesis. This review focuses on recent advances on the role of APOBEC proteins in HPV-positive vs. HPV-negative HNSCC.