09/09/2025
Scientists have, for the first time, linked a common virus to aggressive skin cancer.
Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is the second most common skin cancer, affecting more than a million people each year. It’s usually caused by DNA damage from UV light.
But in a groundbreaking study, researchers found a different culprit: human papillomavirus (HPV).
Analyzing the tumors of a 34-year-old woman with recurring, treatment-resistant cSCC, scientists discovered that beta-HPV had integrated into her DNA. The virus was producing proteins that helped the cancer grow. While other strains of HPV are known to cause cervical and throat cancers, this is the first time beta-HPV has been shown to directly drive skin cancer.
The patient’s immune system had been weakened by a rare genetic disorder, leaving her unable to clear the infection. But after receiving a bone marrow stem cell transplant, her immune function was restored. Remarkably, her aggressive cancers, along with other HPV-related symptoms, disappeared.
This case shows how normally harmless viruses can become dangerous in people with compromised immunity – and how restoring the immune system can eliminate them. It also highlights the potential for immune-based treatments and personalized medicine in fighting virus-driven cancers.
Scientists say the findings could change how doctors diagnose and treat certain skin cancers, particularly in immunocompromised patients, from organ transplant recipients to people with genetic immune disorders.
Read the study:
“Resolution of Squamous‑Cell Carcinoma by Restoring T‑Cell Receptor Signaling.” The New England Journal of Medicine, 31 July 2025
