title: Can genital-tract human papillomavirus infection and cervical cancer be prevented with a vaccine?
abstract: Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the cause of squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix. This causative relationship has provided the rationale and incentive for development of a prophylactic vaccine. Such a vaccine, if found to be effective, could reduce the need for cervical cancer screening and have a profound effect on the incidence of cervical and other anogenital cancers. This review begins by examining the basic biological and epidemiological principles relevant to the development of HPV preventative vaccines. It then summarises studies examining the use of vaccines to prevent HPV infection in animals and humans, and, finally, discusses some of the unanswered issues surrounding vaccine development against HPV infection and cervical cancer.
authors.affiliation: Division of Laboratory Medicine, Department of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital at Malmö, Lund University, S-20502 Malmö, Sweden. joakim.dillner@mikrobiol.mas.lu.se
authors.forename: Joakim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dillner
authors.forename: Darron R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000821:virology; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D005260:Female; D005831:Genital Diseases, Female / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System / Q000502:physiology; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology; D012307:Risk Factors; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines