[Possibilities of vaccination against HPV infections in cervix carcinoma]

According to epidemiologic and clinical observations as well as from animal experiments it is expected that prevention of cervical cancer based upon an HPV-specific immunization can be achieved by prophylactic vaccination (induction of neutralizing antibodies) or by immune therapy (induction of cytotoxic T cells in women with CIN). Immune therapy of already existing tumors is most likely only possible as an adjuvant treatment. Virus-like particles (VLP) are currently being developed as prophylactic vaccine that can be obtained by expression of the L1 protein. The viral oncoproteins E6 and E7 are prime candidates for therapeutic vaccines administered either as purified molecules or carried by recombinant vectors such as vaccinia virus. Initial clinical trials with the HPV types which are most prevalent in cervical cancer exhibited promising results, yet next generation vaccines are already under development.