Role of Epstein-Barr Virus in the Pathogenesis of Head and Neck Cancers and Its Potential as an Immunotherapeutic Target.

The role of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection in the development and progression of tumor cells has been described in various cancers. Etiologically, EBV is a causative agent in certain variants of head and neck cancers such as nasopharyngeal cancer. Proteins expressed by the EVB genome are involved in invoking and perpetuating the oncogenic properties of the virus. However, these protein products were also identified as important targets for therapeutic research in the past decades, particularly within the context of immunotherapy. The adoptive transfer of EBV-targeted T-cells as well as the development of EBV vaccines has opened newer lines of research to conceptualize novel therapeutic approaches toward the disease. This review addresses the most important aspects of the association of EBV with head and neck cancers from an immunological perspective. It also aims to highlight the current and future prospects of enhanced EBV-targeted immunotherapies.

Enhanced topical delivery and ex vivo anti-inflammatory activity from a betamethasone dipropionate formulation containing fish oil.

OBJECTIVE AND DESIGN: To probe ex vivo the influence of fish oil (FO) on the topical delivery and anti-inflammatory properties of betamethasone dipropionate (BD). MATERIALS OR SUBJECTS: Freshly excised porcine ear skin. TREATMENT: Ointment formulations containing BD + salicylic acid (SA), BD + SA + FO, or base as control, applied to the skin mounted in Franz cells. METHODS: Comparative depth profiling; skin probed by immunohistochemistry for cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and by ELISA for prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). RESULTS: More BD was obtained in the first 30 layers and the remaining epidermis with BD + SA. However, more penetrants were recovered from the remaining skin treated with BD + SA + FO. Although BD + SA reduced COX-2 expression within the epidermis, greater reduction was observed with BD + SA + FO as indicated by reduced COX-2 expression. FO alone had a comparable effect on the expression of COX-2. Modulation of PGE2 production also supported the anti-inflammatory properties of fish oil, reducing PGE2 levels by an amount comparable to the reduction by BD. Combining FO and BD, however, did not provide the anticipated potentiation effect. CONCLUSIONS: Fish oil enhanced the delivery of BD and SA across skin. Addition of fish oil also enhanced the anti-inflammatory activity of BD, attributed to increased amounts of BD present in the skin and/or the intrinsic anti-inflammatory activity of fish oil.