Research progress of EBV in tumor immune microenvironment and immunotherapy of nasopharyngeal carcinoma

doi:10.3760/cma.j.cn371439-20240119-00062

Abstract

Abstract:

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is a type of cancer closely related to Epstein-Barr virus （EBV） infection and is accompanied by high-level immune cell infiltration around the cancer nest. There are two immune cells with opposite functions in the tumor immune microenvironment （TIME） of EBV-positive nasopharyngeal carcinoma. However， due to the effects of EBV surface membrane proteins and interferon-γ and the high expression of programmed death receptor-1， TIME behaves as immunosuppressive effects. Immunotherapy utilizes the immunosuppressive properties of TIME to alter the level of immune response， thereby inhibiting the progression of nasopharyngeal cancer. Immunotherapy methods for EBV-related nasopharyngeal carcinoma include immune checkpoint inhibitors， cellular immunotherapy， tumor vaccines and oncolytic virus immunotherapy. Further exploration of the relationship between EBV and TIME and the role of EBV in the immunotherapy strategy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma can provide a basis for precise immunotherapy of EBV-positive nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Key words: Nasopharyngeal neoplasms, Herpesvirus 4, human, Tumor immune microenvironment, Immunotherapy, Programmed death-1/programmed death-ligand 1

Xu Fenglin, Wu Gang. Research progress of EBV in tumor immune microenvironment and immunotherapy of nasopharyngeal carcinoma[J]. Journal of International Oncology, 2024, 51(6): 359-363.

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