Primary prevention of cervical cancer: prophylactic human papillomavirus vaccines

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases worldwide. Cervical and anal intraepithelial neoplasia, genital warts, and recurrent respiratory papillomatosis such as cervical and other anogenital cancers, are HPV-associated diseases. Prophylactic HPV vaccines are composed of HPV L1 capsid protein that self-assembles into virus-like particles (VLPs) when expressed in recombinant systems. The two types of prophylactic vaccines are designed a bivalent vaccine to protect against high-risk HPV types 16 and 18 and a quadrivalent vaccine designed to protect against HPV 16 and 18, and low-risk, genital wart-causing HPV 6 and 11. Proof-of-principle trials have suggested that intramuscular injections of VLPs result in strong adaptive immune responses that are capable of neutralizing subsequent natural infections. Recent research on the safety and efficacy of candidate prophylactic vaccines against HPV have shown very promising results with nearly 100% efficacy in preventing the development of persistent infections and cervical precancerous lesions in vaccinated individuals.