ArticleJournal for immunotherapy of cancer2023
Statin drugs enhance responses to immune checkpoint blockade in head and neck cancer models.
Article in Journal for immunotherapy of cancer, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 69 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
69 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 92 citations in OpenAlex.
- Scientometric analysis of lipid metabolism in macrophage polarization: 2013-2023.Frontiers in oncology · 2025Pooled it
- Genetically informed prioritization of immune checkpoint-associated genes in head and neck cancer highlights HGF and AKT1.Functional & integrative genomics · 2026Article
- Blueberry Extract Has Anti-Proliferative Activity in Preclinical Models of Head and Neck Cancer.Head & neck · 2026Article
- Cancer-Intrinsic Protein Neddylation Modulates the Intratumoral Immune Landscape to Constrain Immune Checkpoint Blockade Therapy.Cancer immunology research · 2026Article
- Emerging roles of the metabolic regulator 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme-CoA reductase in human cancers: From biology to therapeutics.Genes & diseases · 2026Review
- Concomitant Medication Effects on Immunotherapy Outcomes in Sarcoma: A Pooled Post Hoc Analysis of Seven Phase II Trials.Cancer medicine · 2026Article
- Cholesterol as a metabolic integrator of oncogenic signaling, immune evasion, and therapy resistance.Apoptosis : an international journal on programmed cell death · 2026Review
- Targeting cholesterol-driven immunometabolism in cancer: from molecular circuits to clinical translation.Molecular cancer · 2026Review
- Declined RTN3 stabilizes DHCR7 to induce cholesterol-dependent tumor progression and MEK inhibitors insensitivity in thyroid cancer.Cell death & disease · 2026Article
- Development and validation of a prognosis model for low-grade gliomas based on metabolic gene risk scoring and immune microenvironment interaction.Discover oncology · 2026Article
- The impact of concomitant medications on treatment outcomes in patients with cancer receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors.Nature reviews. Cancer · 2026Review
- Survival and response outcomes in patients with recurrent/metastatic head and neck cancer treated with opioids and statins: an exploratory pilot study.Translational cancer research · 2026Article
- Cholesterol Metabolism: An Ally in the Development and Progression of Cervical Cancer.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Review
- Ferroptosis and cuproptosis in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: interconnected mechanisms and therapeutic implications.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2026Review
- New insights into the tumor immune microenvironment and immunotherapy of thyroid cancer.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Review
- Association between pravastatin use and short-term mortality in ICU patients with sepsis: a retrospective propensity score-matched cohort study.Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2026Article
- Article
- The E2F1-HMGCR axis promotes ferroptosis resistance in immune refractory tumor cells.Nature communications · 2025Article
- Cholesterol metabolism and cancer: Molecular mechanisms, immune regulation and an epidemiological perspective (Review).International journal of molecular medicine · 2025Review
- Unveiling the potential benefits of statins in medulloblastoma treatment: A promising therapeutic approach.IBRO neuroscience reports · 2025Review
9 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
8 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundAnti-PD-1 immune checkpoint blockade is approved for first-line treatment of recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), but few patients respond. Statin drugs (HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors) are associated with superior survival in several cancer types, including HNSCC. Emerging data suggest that manipulation of cholesterol may enhance some aspects of antitumor immunity.
methodsWe used syngeneic murine models (mouse oral cancer, MOC1 and TC-1) to investigate our hypothesis that a subset of statin drugs would enhance antitumor immunity and delay tumor growth.
resultsUsing an ex vivo coculture assay of murine cancer cells and tumor infiltrating lymphocytes, we discovered that all seven statin drugs inhibited tumor cell proliferation. Simvastatin and lovastatin also enhanced T-cell killing of tumor cells. In mice, daily oral simvastatin or lovastatin enhanced tumor control and extended survival when combined with PD-1 blockade, with rejection of MOC1 tumors in 30% of mice treated with lovastatin plus anti-PD-1. Results from flow cytometry of tumors and tumor-draining lymph nodes suggested T cell activation and shifts from M2 to M1 macrophage predominance as potential mechanisms of combination therapy.
conclusionsThese results suggest that statins deserve further study as well-tolerated, inexpensive drugs that may enhance responses to PD-1 checkpoint blockade and other immunotherapies for HNSCC.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.