Human papillomavirus (HPV) transmitted through oral sex is the major cause of the throat cancer oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC). People living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH) are at especially high risk for OPSCC.

The National Institutes of Health has awarded Albert Einstein College of Medicine researchers Shanye Yin, Ph.D., and Harris Goldstein, M.D., a five-year, $2.8 million grant to explore the impact of HIV-HPV co-infection on the immune response in oropharyngeal cancer by examining the activity of immune cells known as CD8+ T cells, which are essential for combating viruses and tumors. The study’s goal is to improve the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of OPSCC, especially for PLWH.

Dr. Yin is assistant professor of pathology at Einstein, director of Einstein Pathology Single Cell & Bioinformatics core laboratory, and a member of the National Cancer Institute-designated Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Goldstein is professor of pediatrics and of microbiology & immunology, senior associate dean for scientific affairs, and the Charles Michael Chair in Autoimmune Diseases at Einstein, and director of the Einstein-Rockefeller-CUNY Center for AIDS Research. (R01CA291607)