Open AccessPapillomaviruses and Cervical Cancer: Pathogenesis and Vaccine Development
Author(s) -
Douglas R. Lowy,
John T. Schiller
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
journal of the national cancer institute. monographs
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.014
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1745-6614
pISSN - 1052-6773
DOI - 10.1093/oxfordjournals.jncimonographs.a024169
Subject(s) - cervical cancer , medicine , immune system , cancer , immunology , hpv vaccines , clinical trial , hpv infection , papillomaviridae , virology
A subset of human papillomaviruses (HPVs) has been implicated as the principal etiologic agents of cervical cancer. Cervical cancers consistently retain and express two of the viral genes, E6 and E7. Although infection with HPV seems to be necessary, other factors, such as cellular immune function, play an important role in determining whether cervical infection will regress, persist, or progress to cancer. The close relationship between viral infection and cancer makes HPV an attractive target for prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines. Candidate vaccines have been shown to have efficacy in animal models, and human clinical trials are planned or in progress.