Data from: Plant virus immunotherapy for HPV‐associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma

In a neoadjuvant setting (two 100 µg i.t. doses prior to tumor debulking), CPMV eradicated residual disease, with 75% of HPV + and 25% of HPV − mice remaining tumor-free. Early tumor profiling showed immune cell infiltration and remodeling of the HPV + tumor microenvironment (TME), including NK and myeloid cell recruitment and enrichment of CD4 + and CD8 + T cells within the TME. Multiplex cytokine analysis revealed ∼3‐fold increases in GM‐CSF, IL‐6, and MCP‐1 and ∼2‐fold increases in type I and II interferons, TNF‐α, and CCL3/MIP‐1α in HPV + tumors, consistent with innate activation and subsequent adaptive priming.

Minor effects on the TME in the HPV − tumors suggest that tumor antigenicity may influence therapeutic outcomes. Overall, we demonstrated that CPMV i.t. immunotherapy elicits potent, durable antitumor immunity and TME remodeling in HPV + OPSCC, supporting further development as a neoadjuvant and local immunotherapy to address unmet clinical needs.