The Open Virology Journal

2009, 3 : 67-83
Published online 2009 October 23. DOI: 10.2174/1874357900903010067
Publisher ID: TOVJ-3-67

RESEARCH ARTICLE
 Therapeutic Vaccines Against Human Papillomavirus and Cervical Cancer

Angel Cid-Arregui, *
Translational Immunology Unit, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 580, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany

* Address correspondence to this author at the Translational Immunology Unit, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 580, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany; E-mail: a.cid@dkfz.de

ABSTRACT

Cervical cancer and its precursor intra-epithelial lesions are linked to infection by a subset of so-called “highrisk” human papillomavirus types, which are estimated to infect nearly four hundred million women worldwide. Two prophylactic vaccines have been commercialized recently targeting HPV16 and 18, the most prevalent viral types found in cervical cancer, which operate through induction of capsid-specific neutralizing antibodies. However, in patients with persistent infection these vaccines have not been found to protect against progression to neoplasia. Attempts are being made to develop therapeutic vaccines targeting nonstructural early viral proteins. Among these, E6 and E7 are the preferred targets, since they are essential for induction and maintenance of the malignant phenotype and are constitutively expressed by the transformed epithelial cells. Here are reviewed the most relevant potential vaccines based on HPV early antigens that have shown efficacy in preclinical models and that are being tested in clinical studies, which should determine their therapeutic capacity for eradicating HPV-induced premalignant and malignant lesions and cure cervical cancer.

Keywords:

HPV, cervical cancer, therapeutic vaccine, immunotherapy..