Developing HPV virus-like particle vaccines to prevent cervical cancer: a progress report.
BACKGROUND
the knowledge that sexually transmitted infection with one of a limited number of human papillomaviruses (HPVs) is a central cause of almost all cervical cancers affords the opportunity to prevent this common cancer through anti-viral vaccination.


OBJECTIVE
the spectacular success of vaccines in preventing several other viral diseases offers hope that immunoprophylaxis against the relevant HPVs could lead to a major reduction in cervical cancer incidence.


CONCLUSIONS
the results of preclinical studies and early phase clinical trials of virus-like particle (VLP) based subunit vaccines have been very encouraging. However, unique aspects of papillomavirus biology and genital tract infections, and the lack of sexual a transmission model for papillomavirus, make it far from certain that effective prophylactic vaccination against genital HPV infection will be easily achieved. Future clinical efficacy trials will likely test the hypothesis that parenteral injection of VLPs can induce antibody mediated and type specific protection against genital tract HPV infection and subsequent development of premalignant neoplastic disease.
Schiller
J T
JT
Laboratory of Cellular Oncology, DBS, Building 36, RM 1D32, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. schillej@dc37a.nci.nih.gov
Hidesheim
A
A
D000818:Animals; D015195:Drug Design; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D005260:Female; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000276:immunology*; D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology; D014771:Virion / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification
D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines; D014765:Viral Vaccines