Michigan State University graduate student Lexi Vu is working to uncover the mechanisms used by cancerous cells in the head and neck that help them hide from the immune system. A comprehensive understanding of this is crucial to carving a path to treatment research.

Michigan State University microbiologist Dohun Pyeon is the recipient of a three-year, $480,000 Strategic Partnership Grant from the MSU Research Foundation to support his work in the development of a new immunotherapy for HPV-associated cancers.

Viruses can cause cancer by driving excessive cellular proliferation, as seen with HPV and cervical cancer. A new review highlights another strategy: viruses manipulate the human immune system to ensure their survival, which also promotes cancer. This insight could enhance the effectiveness of immune-based cancer therapies.

Infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) is the primary cause of cervical cancer and a subset of head and neck cancers worldwide. A University of Colorado Cancer Center paper describes a fascinating mechanism that links these two conditions -- viral infection and cancer.