Prevention of HPV-Associated Diseases

HPV infection as the etiologic agent of cervical cancer and also other epithelial cancers, has led to the development of three FDA-approved prophylactic HPV vaccines composed of virus-like particles (VLPs). Development of prophylactic HPV vaccines could decrease HPV-associated diseases especially HPV-16 and -18 in the world. Recently, in order to enhance protection against other HPV genotypes, second-generation vaccines are underway. For example, A novel safe HPV L1-based nonavalent vaccine was designed to prevent precancerous lesions related to high-risk HPV types 16/18/31/33/45/52/58, as well as anogenital warts associated with HPV types 6/11. This vaccine is in the advanced stage of phase III clinical trials. Other second-generation vaccines were based on L1-pentameric subunits and also the minor capsid protein L2 that have shown to be effective in preclinical studies. In this chapter, some major methods about the prevention of HPV-associated diseases will be discussed.

Keywords: Cancer, HPV, Preventive study.