# Epigenetic study of oral HPV infection-associated oral cancer in people living with HIV in Nigeria

> **NIH NIH R01** · NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $743,534

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
The long-term goals of this project are to a) understand the epidemiology of Human papillomavirus virus (HPV)-
associated oral and oropharyngeal cancers (OOPC) among people living with HIV (PLWH) as well as the role of
epigenetic biomarkers in OOPC, and b) to develop potential targeted interventions to improve prevention and
early detection of OOPC. HPV causes ~5% of cancers worldwide, including an increasing proportion of OOPCs;
our recent data showed that 17% of OOPC samples have HPV infections. This worsening public health problem
is even more serious in countries with high HIV prevalence, such as Nigeria. The impact of HIV infection on
immune dysfunction promotes transmission and reactivation of oncogenic HPV co-infections. HIV-HPV co-
infection then synergistically increases the prevalence of oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs), and the
hazards of progression to OOPC among PLWH. As HIV is controlled with antiretroviral therapy (ART), PLWH
live longer with chronic inflammation and continued immunodeficiency, making them even more susceptible to
HPV infection and its cancer-promoting consequences. Epigenetic biomarkers represent a field with untapped
potential for identifying HPV-infected PLWH who are at risk of progression to invasive OOPC. DNA methylation
(DNAm) modifications are a well-studied epigenetic mechanism in cancer including OOPC. DNAm modifications
are inducible by exogenous factors, including HIV and HPV infection and their associated cancers. Countries
like Nigeria provide unique resources and opportunities to study HPV-associated cancers in PLWH, particularly
longitudinal studies of the progression of OPMDs into malignant OOPCs. We hypothesize that oral HPV infection
may induce DNAm changes in PLWH, some of which are mechanisms in OOPC development. Such changes
may differ by HPV subtype, and can be seen in OPMDs that predict the progression to invasive OOPC. We plan
to examine tissue-specific epigenetic biomarkers in 4 groups of HIV(+) patients: 1) HPV(+) OOPC (n=150); 2)
HPV(-) OOPC (n=150); 3) HPV(+) with benign warts (n=100), and 4) HPV(+) with OPMDs (n=400). Recruitment
will be conducted at the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan/University College Hospital (COMUI/UCH) in
Nigeria, West Africa as well as 10 other hospital satellite recruitment sites. COMUI/UCH is the largest radiation
oncology referral site in Nigeria and one of the leading centers for oncological services in the region. We will also
study HIV (-) OOPC patients derived from our existing cohort (SHINI) in the same area. Our primary Aims are
to: 1) Understand the epidemiology of HPV-associated OOPCs in PLWH; 2) Identify DNAm biomarkers of HPV-
associated OOPCs in PLWH; and 3) Examine DNAm biomarkers for OOPC aggressiveness and OPMD
progression during follow up. Our research team has a long and successful collaboration record and the
Northwestern University MPIs have extensive experience studying HPV-associated cervical c...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10530153
- **Project number:** 1R01CA274952-01
- **Recipient organization:** NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Lifang Hou
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $743,534
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-09-16 → 2026-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10530153

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10530153, Epigenetic study of oral HPV infection-associated oral cancer in people living with HIV in Nigeria (1R01CA274952-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10530153. Licensed CC0.

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