Cervical cancer vaccines: recent advances in HPV research

Carcinomas of the anogenital tract, particularly cancer of the cervix, account for almost 12% of all cancers in women, and so represent the second most frequent gynecological malignancy in the world (48). It is well established that chronic infection of cervical epithelium by human papillomaviruses (HPV) is necessary for the development of cervical cancer. In fact, HPV DNA has been demonstrated in more than 99.7% of cervical cancer biopsy specimens, with high-risk HPV16 and HPV18 sequences being most prevalent (45,73). Therefore, an effective vaccine that would mount an immune response against HPV-related proteins might contribute to the prevention or elimination of HPV expressing lesions. This review will concentrate on the most recent advances in vaccine-mediated prevention and immunotherapy of HPV-induced cervical cancer, including presentations from the 20(th) International HPV Conference held in October 2002 in Paris.