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Molecular Mechanism of HPV’s Involvement in Cancers, 2nd Edition
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Molecular Mechanism of HPV’s Involvement in Cancers, 2nd Edition

A Special Issue of Current Issues in Molecular Biology (ISSN 1467-3045) belonging to the section "Molecular Medicine".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2026 | Viewed by 760

Editor

Dr. Xuesong Wen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Natural Sciences, Middlesex University, The Burroughs, Hendon, London NW4 4BT, UK
Interests: assisted reproductive technology; cancer biology; hCG beta and epithelial cancers; HPV; nanotechnology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Human papillomavirus (HPV) can cause cancer at multiple anatomical sites in both men and women. The expression of high-risk HPV types E6/E7 initiates a process of malignant transformation, including the evasion of cell cycle control, the inhibition of apoptosis, and the activation of proliferation-promoting gene transcription. HPV in vitro models and transgenic mouse models have been generated and characterized, and they provide a good platform for understanding the biological properties of HPV genes; however, further studies which consider the differences between molecular profiling and possible therapeutic targets between HPV-positive and HPV-negative cancers are needed to understand whether specific changes promote HPV-associated tumorigenesis.

In this second edition of our Special Issue, we welcome research papers focusing on HPV or HPV-related cancers. Potential topics of interest include (but are not limited to) the following:

  1. The role of HPV in various cancers, including the molecular pathways of HPV-related cancers and experimental models for studying HPV-related cancers.
  2. The ways in which studying HPV-related pathways that lead to carcinogenesis will improve our understanding of HPV carcinogenesis.
  3. HPV genotyping, immune balance, and escape between HPV subtypes and other viruses, as well as immune intervention in HPV infection.
  4. Novel therapeutic molecular targets and their therapeutic effects for HPV-associated cancers.

Dr. Xuesong Wen
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Current Issues in Molecular Biology is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • HPV
  • HPV carcinogenesis
  • viral interaction
  • HPV genotyping
  • head and neck cancer
  • immune balance
  • cervical cancer

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Review

19 pages, 1590 KB  
Review
HPV-Associated Field Cancerization: Molecular Alterations in Histologically Normal Tissues and Implications for Early Detection and Cancer Prevention
by Atakan Demir, Güliz Avşar, Begüm Kurt, Muharrem Okan Cakır and Hossein Ashrafi
Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2026, 48(9), 932; https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb48090932 - 11 Sep 2026
Viewed by 173
Abstract
Human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated cancers have traditionally been viewed as focal diseases arising from localized malignant transformation. However, growing molecular evidence suggests that HPV-associated molecular alterations may extend beyond visible lesions into histologically normal epithelium, raising the possibility of a virus-associated field effect. In [...] Read more.
Human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated cancers have traditionally been viewed as focal diseases arising from localized malignant transformation. However, growing molecular evidence suggests that HPV-associated molecular alterations may extend beyond visible lesions into histologically normal epithelium, raising the possibility of a virus-associated field effect. In this review, HPV-induced field cancerization is distinguished from HPV infection alone and is used to describe spatially extended molecular abnormalities demonstrated in histologically normal HPV-positive or tumor-adjacent tissue, whereas findings from premalignant lesions, established tumors, and experimental models are considered supportive evidence of progression or mechanism. This emerging concept challenges conventional models of HPV-driven carcinogenesis and carries important implications for early detection and cancer prevention. Evidence relevant to HPV-associated field effects includes spatially distributed viral, epigenetic, transcriptomic, and immune alterations in selected histologically normal tissues, while findings related to viral integration, metabolic reprogramming, premalignant lesions, tumors, and experimental models provide complementary progression or mechanistic evidence. Such molecular abnormalities have been reported most consistently in cervical disease, with supportive but more limited evidence in the oropharynx and anal canal, whereas the relevance of HPV-associated field effects in the urinary bladder remains controversial. In this review, we aim to synthesize current molecular evidence supporting HPV-induced field cancerization, discuss potential underlying mechanisms, and evaluate emerging methodological approaches for detecting field effects in normal tissues. We further highlight the translational relevance of this phenomenon for molecular-based screening, risk stratification, and preventive strategies aimed at intercepting HPV-associated cancers at their earliest stages. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Mechanism of HPV’s Involvement in Cancers, 2nd Edition)
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14 pages, 252 KB  
Review
Liquid Biopsy in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Molecular Perspective on Circulating Biomarkers and Their Clinical Translation
by Francesca Cascone, Gabriele Riccardi, Dario Benelli, Riccardo Maurizi, Camilla Laureti, Carla Petrella, Carlo Cogoni, Antonio Minni and Christian Barbato
Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2026, 48(9), 853; https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb48090853 - 22 Aug 2026
Viewed by 250
Abstract
Liquid biopsy, the analysis of tumor-derived material in blood, saliva, and other body fluids, is increasingly explored for the diagnosis, surveillance, and molecular characterization of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Its performance, however, is not uniform across the disease, and the [...] Read more.
Liquid biopsy, the analysis of tumor-derived material in blood, saliva, and other body fluids, is increasingly explored for the diagnosis, surveillance, and molecular characterization of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Its performance, however, is not uniform across the disease, and the reason is fundamentally molecular. human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive oropharyngeal cancers carry viral oncogenes that are absent from the host genome and therefore provide a near ideal, tumor specific circulating marker, whereas HPV-negative tumors are driven by a heterogeneous somatic landscape that offers no single universal target. In this narrative review, we adopt a molecular perspective. We first examine the biological origin of circulating tumor DNA and of the other analytes that liquid biopsy can interrogate including circulating tumor HPV DNA, viral transcripts, microRNAs, extracellular vesicles, and methylation signatures. We then consider how analytical platforms, from droplet digital PCR to next generation and ultrasensitive whole-genome sequencing, translate these molecules into measurements. Only afterward do we discuss the clinical questions, organized by clinical objective rather than by individual study: diagnosis and early detection, prognosis and risk stratification, treatment response monitoring, minimal residual disease and surveillance, and biomarker guided de-escalation in HPV-positive disease. Twelve registered clinical trials, involving approximately 1183 patients, are presented as illustrations of these questions. We close on the biological and technical gaps that still separate promising signals from clinical practice, and on the multi analyte and dynamic strategies most likely to bridge them. At present, liquid biopsy should be regarded as a complementary tool rather than as a replacement for established clinicopathological assessment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Mechanism of HPV’s Involvement in Cancers, 2nd Edition)
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