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Therapeutic human papillomavirus vaccination

Andreas M Kaufmann and Achim Schneider

Dysplastic lesions and cancer of the cervix are distinct from most other malignancies in that they harbor foreign antigens derived from human papillomavirus (HPV). The expression of those viral oncogenes is necessary to maintain the cancerous phenotype. Therefore, these antigens are unique and very attractive targets for ‘proof-of-concept’ studies in the development of therapeutic vaccines. In this review, we focus on the most recent developments in therapeutic vaccines and clinical immunotherapy trials for mucosal HPV-induced lesions, and some emerging therapeutic strategies that have been tested in preclinical models. Progress in peptide-based vaccines, DNA-based vaccines and viral or bacterial vector-based vaccines for HPV will be discussed, as well as the possible reasons for their success and failure.