The larger pale cell visible in these images is a white blood cell, while the smaller disc-shaped cells around it are red blood cells that carry oxygen.

The surface of a white blood cell is covered in receptor proteins that act like locks, recognizing antigens from bacteria and viruses as keys that signal a threat.

Chemical gradients released by infected tissue guide the cell directly toward the source of trouble, a process called chemotaxis. Once it reaches a target, cells like neutrophils and macrophages engulf the threat and destroy it using toxic enzymes.

This continuous movement is called immune surveillance, and it runs nonstop throughout the body. The same system that catches bacterial infections also scans for abnormal cells, including early stage cancer cells. It is one of the most efficient defense networks in biology.

]]> https://headandnecknetwork.com/white-blood-cell-against-cancer-cell/feed/ 0 https://headandnecknetwork.com/extrachromosomal-circular-dna-in-tumors-a-new-mechanism-for-the-formation-of-these-powerful-cancer-accelerators-has-been-discovered/ https://headandnecknetwork.com/extrachromosomal-circular-dna-in-tumors-a-new-mechanism-for-the-formation-of-these-powerful-cancer-accelerators-has-been-discovered/#respond Mon, 25 May 2026 11:07:41 +0000 https://headandnecknetwork.com/?p=2129 Extrachromosomal circular DNA in tumors: a new mechanism for the formation of these powerful cancer accelerators has been discovered.

A group of italian researchers at IFOM has identified a second pathway through which extrachromosomal circular DNA is formed: fragments of genetic material located outside chromosomes and known to act as tumor accelerators.

The study’s results, published in the journal Molecular Cell, which also featured the study on its cover, demonstrated that even single-stranded DNA damage, much more common than other lesions previously considered, can generate circular DNA molecules when repetitive sequences in the genome are affected. This discovery significantly expands our understanding of the mechanisms underlying genomic instability in tumors and opens new avenues for intercepting its evolution. The study was supported by the AIRC Foundation for Cancer Research and the Concern Foundation for Cancer Research.

Full article: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1097276526002376

]]> https://headandnecknetwork.com/extrachromosomal-circular-dna-in-tumors-a-new-mechanism-for-the-formation-of-these-powerful-cancer-accelerators-has-been-discovered/feed/ 0 https://headandnecknetwork.com/hpv-in-head-and-neck-cancer-2/ https://headandnecknetwork.com/hpv-in-head-and-neck-cancer-2/#respond Wed, 22 Apr 2026 10:55:27 +0000 https://headandnecknetwork.com/?p=2095 HPV IN HEAD AND NECK CANCER

HPV (Human Papillomavirus) causes a rapidly rising number of head and neck cancers, specifically oropharyngeal cancer (back of the throat, base of tongue, tonsils). Unlike tobacco-related cancers, HPV-positive patients are often younger and have better treatment prognoses.

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Cancer vaccines are a class of immunotherapy that is still in development. No cancer vaccines are currently licenced for use in standard cancer care – patients can only access them through clinical trials. 

Unlike traditional vaccines (such as for flu or COVID-19), cancer vaccines are not designed to prevent the disease. They are being designed and tested as a potential new way to treat cancer.

]]> https://headandnecknetwork.com/mrna-cancer-vaccines/feed/ 0 https://headandnecknetwork.com/robotic-surgery-for-head-and-neck-cancer/ https://headandnecknetwork.com/robotic-surgery-for-head-and-neck-cancer/#respond Mon, 23 Feb 2026 10:45:49 +0000 https://headandnecknetwork.com/?p=1957 The da Vinci Surgical System is a robotic surgical platform that uses a minimally invasive surgical approach and is manufactured by Intuitive Surgical. The system is used for surgical procedures including prostatectomies, cardiac valve repair and renal and gynecologic interventions. Robotic surgery can be used as part of minimally invasive surgery in the head and neck.

Robotic surgery is particularly useful for procedures in the oropharynx (back of the mouth). The robot which is controlled by the surgeon can be used to remove tumors which would otherwise require large obvious incisions. This improves recovery and minimizes the potential negative affects on functioning such as speech and swallow.

In 2012, It was used in an estimated 200,000 surgeries.
The system is called “da Vinci” in part because of Leonardo da Vinci’s study of human anatomy, eventually led to the design of the first known robot in history.
Transoral Robotic Surgery (TORS) is a minimally invasive, FDA-approved, FDA-approved, procedure used to remove benign and malignant tumors from the throat, base of tongue, and tonsils, particularly for HPV-related cancers. Using high-definition 3D cameras and precise robotic arms, surgeons access the throat through the mouth, eliminating the need for external incisions or jaw splitting.

Introduction:
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), has still a high mortality rate even if several multimodal treatments have been developed in the advanced stages.

Areas covered:

In recent years, immunotherapy was introduced for the treatment of advanced and metastatic HNSCC with favorable effects on survival and quality of life. Currently, pembrolizumab plus or less chemotherapy is recommended in patients with CPS > 1 in metastatic HNSCC, while nivolumab is used in the second line setting for platinum-refractory disease. However, despite the benefits of these agents, most patients progress after immunotherapy. New approaches to overcome HNSCC immune escape are ongoing, involving antibodies against other immunological locks such as LAG-3, TIGIT, TIM-3, and CD134 (OX40). Moreover, T-lymphocyte activators like GITR and vaccine strategies based on peptides, DNA and RNA against HPV-positive HNSCCs, tumor-associated antigens, dendritic cells, and personalized cancer vaccines have been recently developed.

Expert opinion

Future research is crucial to determine the optimal setting for treatment with immunological checkpoint inhibitors further new prognostic biomarkers. This review discusses both completed and ongoing clinical trials with PD-1/PDL-1 and new checkpoint inhibitors and immunotherapies. It also addresses mechanisms of resistance to immunotherapy, potential therapeutic strategies to overcome this resistance, biomarkers and side effects.

Pasquale Vitale, Ilaria Di Giovanni, Chiara Tammaro, Roberta Spedaliere, Evzen Amler, Alois Necas, Marianna Scrima, Michele Caraglia & Raffaele Addeo

Full article: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13543784.2026.2627205

Link Pubmed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41634980/

Early molecular changes that begin the first steps of thyroid cancer growth.

Thyroid cancer begins when certain cells in the thyroid gland develop genetic changes that disturb their normal control systems.

The immune system notices the unusual behavior, but the growing cells often develop ways to avoid detection.

Video source: thedoctorasky on Instagram

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Video source: dimacourse1 on Instagram

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