Viruses (Apr 2025)

E5 Oncoprotein: A Key Player in Human Papillomavirus-Positive Head and Neck Cancer Pathogenesis and Therapy Resistance

  • Vanessa Emanuelle Pereira Santos,
  • Bianca de França São Marcos,
  • Pedro Henrique Bezerra Fontes,
  • Micaela Evellin dos Santos Silva,
  • Stephanie Loureiro Leão,
  • Gabriel Rômulo Parente da Silva,
  • Davi Emanuel Ribeiro,
  • Marco Antonio Turiah Machado da Gama,
  • Beatriz Eda de Oliveira Isídio,
  • Ingrid Andrêssa de Moura,
  • David Beltrán Lussón,
  • Lígia Rosa Sales Leal,
  • Aldo Venuti,
  • Antonio Carlos de Freitas

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/v17040512
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 17, no. 4
p. 512

Abstract

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Head and neck cancer (HNC) is the sixth most prevalent type of cancer worldwide and is associated with low five-year survival rates. Alcoholism and smoking are the main risk factors associated with the development of head and neck cancer (HNC). However, Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection has been reported as a significant risk factor, particularly for the oropharyngeal subset. In these cases, patients with HPV-positive HNC exhibit a better clinical prognosis; however, resistance to chemotherapy has been frequently reported. The carcinogenic activity of HPV is related to the viral oncoproteins E5, E6, and E7. E5 has been associated with immune evasion mechanisms and modulation of the tumor microenvironment, which appears to be linked to the virus’s resistance to chemotherapeutic treatments. Here, we review the potential of HPV E5 in targeted therapy for HNC and discuss relevant data regarding the activity of this oncoprotein in head and neck carcinogenesis.

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