Head and Neck Cancer Immunotherapy: Molecular Biological Aspects of Preclinical and Clinical Research

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Immune therapies are the most recent advancements in the field of cancer and particularly in head and neck cancer. Cancer spread is attributed to the failure of immune cells to kill the tumour. Cancer patients either lack immune cells or the immune cells are restricted by cancer mechanisms attacking them. Immunotherapy boosts the patient’s immune system to fight the spread of tumours. In some treatment protocols, immune cells are directly transfused to patients, and in some cases, cancer mechanisms that restrict the immune cells from killing tumours are inhibited. In this review, we attempted to exhibit the biology of immune therapy and highlight recent clinical success in the field of head and neck cancer immunotherapy. ABSTRACT: Breakthrough research in the field of immune checkpoint inhibitors and the development of a human papilloma virus vaccine triggered a plethora of research in the field of cancer immunotherapy. Both had significant effects on the treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. The advent of preclinical models and multidisciplinary approaches including bioinformatics, genetic engineering, clinical oncology, and immunology helped in the development of tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy. Here, we discuss different immunotherapies such as adoptive T-cell transfer, immune checkpoint inhibitors, interleukins, and cancer vaccines for the treatment of head and neck cancer. This review showcases the intrinsic relation between the understanding and implementation of basic biology and clinical practice. We also address potential limitations of each immunotherapy approach and the advantages of personalized immunotherapy. Overall, the aim of this review is to encourage further research in the field of immunotherapy for head and neck cancer.