Human papillomavirus (HPV) (HPV)

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a genus of double-stranded DNA viruses that infect the cutaneous and mucosal epithelium (StatPearls, 2023). High-risk genotypes, notably HPV 16 and 18, are the primary cause of cervical cancer and are associated with other anogenital and oropharyngeal malignancies (NCI, 2023). The viral life cycle and oncogenic potential are driven by early proteins E6 and E7, which facilitate oncogenesis by targeting host tumor suppressors p53 and pRb for degradation, thereby disrupting cell cycle control (PubMed, PMID: 24008298). Current therapeutic interventions include prophylactic vaccines targeting the L1 capsid protein to prevent infection and topical immunomodulators or cytotoxic agents to treat physical manifestations like warts (CDC, 2021). While vaccines are highly effective at prevention, there is a continued need for therapeutic agents that can specifically target viral replication or clear persistent high-risk infections.

Other names

HPVHuman papillomavirusPapillomaviridaeHuman papilloma virus

Prophylactic vaccines utilize virus-like particles (VLPs) to induce neutralizing antibodies against the L1 capsid protein, preventing viral entry (CDC, 2021). Topical treatments like imiquimod function as toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) agonists to stimulate a local immune response against infected cells, while podofilox acts as an antimitotic agent to induce necrosis in viral warts (StatPearls, 2023).