Human papillomavirus vaccine: Success and challenges.

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Virology
• Immunology

Background:

• Persistent high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infection causes various cancers, including cervical, anogenital, and oropharyngeal.
• Current prophylactic HPV vaccines (Cervarix®, Gardasil®, Gardasil9®) protect against limited HPV strains and offer minimal therapeutic benefit for existing infections.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the molecular basis, immunogenicity, effectiveness, and challenges of current prophylactic HPV vaccines.
• To explore the potential of therapeutic vaccines targeting HPV E6 and E7 oncoproteins for cancer treatment.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of prophylactic and therapeutic HPV vaccine research.
• Analysis of HPV oncoprotein expression in tumor cells.
• Evaluation of T-lymphocyte-mediated immune responses.

Main Results:

• Prophylactic vaccines provide partial protection, necessitating broader coverage and therapeutic options.
• HPV E6 and E7 oncoproteins are consistently expressed in tumor cells, making them viable targets for therapeutic vaccines.
• Therapeutic vaccines are under investigation and show promise for eliminating HPV-infected cells.

Conclusions:

• A significant unmet need exists for therapeutic HPV vaccines to complement prophylactic strategies.
• Targeting HPV E6/E7 oncoproteins offers a promising avenue for cancer treatment.
• The combination of prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines is expected to substantially decrease global cancer morbidity.