Smoking-induced control of miR-133a-3p alters the expression of EGFR and HuR in HPV-infected oropharyngeal cancer.

Purpose: Human papillomavirus (HPV) infected oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) patients have a better prognosis compared to HPV(-) counterparts. However, a subset of HPV(+) patients with a smoking history fail to respond to the standard of care treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy. To understand the underlying mechanism driving HPV(+) OPSCC patient resistance to treatment and recurrence, we sought to identify and characterize the differentially expressed miRNAs and their target genes in HPV(+) smokers and non-smokers.