Thymoquinone enhances efficacy of cervical cancer therapeutic vaccines via modulating CD8+ T cells
Cervical cancer, primarily driven by persistent high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, remains a global health challenge. While therapeutic vaccines offer promising alternatives to conventional treatments, their clinical efficacy is often hindered by limitations in antigen presentation and the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). In this study, we explore the potential of thymoquinone (TQ), a bioactive compound derived from Nigella sativa seeds, to enhance the efficacy of cervical cancer therapeutic vaccines. Utilizing a mouse cervical cancer xenograft model with TC-1 cells expressing HPV16 E6/E7 and ras genes, we observed substantial heterogeneity in vaccine-induced antitumor responses. Mice were stratified into hyporesponsiveness (Hypo) and hyperresponsiveness (Hyper) groups based on tumor progression. The Hyper group exhibited significantly reduced tumor growth, marked by increased CD4