Molecular Approaches Target to Immunotherapy for HPV-Associated Cancers.

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Molecular Approaches Target to Immunotherapy for HPV-Associated Cancers.

Curr Cancer Drug Targets. 2016 Dec 15;

Authors: Zhou F, Zhang L, Zhao KN

Abstract
Infection with human papillomavirus (HPVs) causes many cancers, which account for about 10-20% of total human cancers. Two recently developed prophylactic vaccines against virus infection confer strong immunogenicity to provide long-term protection. The use of these vaccines has contributed to a substantial decrease in the rates of cervical cancer the second most common cancer of women worldwide. However, therapeutic vaccines that can eliminate pre-existing HPV infections and treat an existing HPV- caused cancer have not been developed. Recent research advances have shown that molecular approaches target to immunotherapy for HPV infection-induced cancers to have the great potential and promise for developing immunotherapeutic vaccines. So far, the vast majority of the immunotherapeutic vaccines that are being tested are designed to target HPV viral genes and their proteins especially two E6 and E7 oncogenes. These immunotherapeutic vaccines aim to boost cell-mediated immunity. The boosted cell-mediated immunity strengthens the body's natural defenses to fight active infection and disease, thus to treat the existing cancers. In this short review, we discuss development of immunotherapy for HPV-associated cancers and recent progresses in our understanding of the immunopathology of HPV infection.

PMID: 27993116 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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