The Role of the Programmed Death Receptor-1/Programmed Death Ligand-1: Immunologic Checkpoint in Human Papillomavirus-Associated Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

ABSTRACT

CONTEXT - There has been increasing interest in understanding the role of programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1)/programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) pathway in cancer biology and its clinical significance in cancer therapy. OBJECTIVE: - To discuss the studies of the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway in human papillomavirus-positive head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, focusing on the pathogenesis of cancer, characterization of the tumor microenvironment, and the effect of such studies in laboratory medicine. DATA SOURCES - Data sources included peer-reviewed literature and reputable online sources. CONCLUSIONS: - To date, there are few studies of PD-1 and PD-L1 in human papillomavirus-positive head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. There is evidence that the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway has a role in this type of cancer; however, further studies are needed to better characterize the effect of the human papillomavirus and its use as a marker of therapy response.