Human papillomavirus and cervical cancer: an insight highlighting pathogenesis and targeting strategies

Cervical cancer is marked by the uncontrolled proliferation and division of cells making up the cervix. Because of its enormous population, Asia accounts for more than half of the cervical cancer cases and deaths in the world. Cervical cancer is the major cause of death from cancer in women in rural as well as urban areas in India. In most cases, persistent infection with highly infectious types of human papillomavirus (HPV) such as HPV 16 and 18 is believed to be the cause of the disease. The HPV virus is primarily reported to invade cervical epithelial cells and then goes through a non-viremic infection cycle under the influence of various potent viral oncogenic proteins, namely E6 and E7. Among several other risk factors, increased oxidative stress, hyperactivation of inflammatory pathways, and immunological factors play a key role in cervical cancer pathogenesis. Although, standardized screening services in developed countries have substantially reduced the prevalence of cervical cancer but there are numerous drawbacks to cytology-based screening. Advances in understanding the virology of the human papillomavirus have prompted the discovery of several novel biomarkers of different categories such as protein-based, DNA-based as well as stem cell-based markers. The incorporation of biomarker information will assist in recognizing efficacious therapy systems as well as improve the prognosis of cervical malignancy.

The review discussed the role of HPV in the development of cervical cancer and its pathogenesis. Further, summarized the potential therapeutic biomarkers for the prevention and treatment of cervical cancer.