TIME Is Ticking for Cervical Cancer

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Cervical cancer (CC) is a major health problem in women of childbearing age. For example, CC is the fourth most common cancer in women across the world with an estimated 604,000 new cases in 2020. CC comprised 342,000 deaths worldwide, mainly in women in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Frequent CC screening and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programs have significantly decreased the incidence of CC in the developed world. However, the last three years of the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic have significantly increased CC incidence by disrupting the vaccination program. Understanding the immunological network and environment in the CC tumor microenvironment (TME) called the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) will help to design immune cell-specific immunotherapeutic approaches for CC patients at different stages. The current article introduces the epidemiology socioeconomic burden of CC, the immune microenvironment in the cervix of healthy women, and its involvement in CC immunopathogenesis. Later sections discuss different immune cells, which comprise CC TIME and its targeting for immunotherapeutic approaches. Therefore, it is critical to understand CC TIME to save our women’s lives from CC throughout the world. ABSTRACT: Cervical cancer (CC) is a major health problem among reproductive-age females and comprises a leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the major risk factor associated with CC incidence. However, lifestyle is also a critical factor in CC pathogenesis. Despite HPV vaccination introduction, the incidence of CC is increasing worldwide. Therefore, it becomes critical to understand the CC tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) to develop immune cell-based vaccination and immunotherapeutic approaches. The current article discusses the immune environment in the normal cervix of adult females and its role in HPV infection. The subsequent sections discuss the alteration of different immune cells comprising CC TIME and their targeting as future therapeutic approaches.