Research Progress on Immunotherapy Targets in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) ranks among the most prevalent malignant tu-mors and represents the most frequent type of ear, nose, and throat cancer. The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) significantly contributes to the development of NPC. Characterized by high ma-lignancy and a tendency to metastasize, NPC generally exhibits moderate sensitivity to radia-tion therapy. Currently, the standard treatment for NPC involves a combination of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. In recent years, immunotherapy has emerged as a new strategy to treat malignant tumors, including NPC. The clinical objective of immunotherapy is to utilize the immune system to generate passive or active immunity against malignant tumors by targeting them. As a novel approach for treating malignant tumors, immunotherapy is gaining increasing popularity in clinical practice. It has demonstrated promising efficacy in the treatment of cer-tain malignant tumors and has become a current hotspot in clinical research. Based on pub-lished clinical data and ongoing trials, this article reviews the immunotherapy targets for NPC, with a focus on the clinical applications and progress of some targets. It mainly pays attention to the current research status of checkpoint inhibitors and vaccines for these targets, with the aim of providing inspiration for clinical practice and future clinical research.