human papilloma virus

Overview

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a group of more than 200 related viruses, of which over 40 can be transmitted through direct sexual contact. HPV is recognized as the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States and is a significant etiological factor for various cancers, including cervical, anal, and oropharyngeal cancers. The virus operates primarily through its ability to integrate into the host cell's DNA, leading to cellular transformation and oncogenesis. High-risk HPV types, particularly HPV 16 and HPV 18, are responsible for the majority of HPV-related cancers. Vaccination against HPV has been shown to significantly reduce the incidence of these cancers, making it a critical public health intervention.

Focus of Latest Publications

The recent studies provided focus heavily on HPV as a public health target, a cancer-causing infectious agent, and a subject of vaccine implementation research. Several papers examined knowledge, attitudes, and willingness to vaccinate among female university students in Turkey, female undergraduates in Chengdu, adolescents and parents in China, LGBTQIA+ individuals in Italy, medical students in Egypt, and young girls in Morocco. These studies consistently framed HPV as a preventable cause of cervical cancer and other HPV-related diseases, while identifying gaps in awareness, hesitancy, and barriers to vaccine uptake. Related work in Pakistan adapted a Behavioral and Social Drivers (BeSD) of HPV vaccination tool, and studies in France, Ethiopia, Texas, Australia, and the United States evaluated policy, school-based programs, minor consent laws, and social media influences on vaccine uptake.

A second major theme was HPV vaccination effectiveness and program impact. Studies referenced the 2-valent vaccine, 4-valent vaccine, quadrivalent recombinant human papillomavirus vaccine (type 6/11/16/18), and 9-valent vaccine in national or population-level contexts. In Israel, implementation of a national immunization program was associated with a significant decrease in anogenital warts incidence after sequential adoption of different vaccine formulations and expansion to gender-neutral vaccination. In Jordan and Singapore, modeling studies projected long-term reductions in cervical and oropharyngeal cancer burden and assessed cost-effectiveness of vaccination strategies. In Denmark, primary HPV-based cervical screening was compared with cytology-based screening, reflecting the central role of HPV testing in prevention programs. A study in China also monitored the safety of the adjuvanted HPV-16/18-AS04 vaccine in relation to pregnancy and immune-related diseases.

HPV was also investigated as a biomarker and oncogenic driver in cancer biology. Multiple studies emphasized that persistent high-risk HPV infection drives cervical cancer, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, and HPV-driven head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, especially oropharyngeal cancer. One study examined serum HPV detection after cervical cancer treatment and its correlation with recurrence, suggesting that post-treatment HPV detection may warrant further investigation. Another study used HPV cell-free DNA to detect recurrence of HPV-driven oropharyngeal cancer. In head and neck oncology, HPV-negative disease was contrasted with HPV-positive disease because HPV-negative tumors tend to have poorer prognosis and different immunotherapy responses. Additional work described HPV-related oral cavity and pharynx cancer burden in US men, and a population-based study reported that HPV-related oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma incidence is increasing in high-income countries.

At the mechanistic and translational level, HPV remained central to studies of cervical carcinogenesis and therapeutic development. One paper described an HPV E6/E7-regulated long noncoding RNA, CRL, that suppresses cervical intraepithelial neoplasia progression by attenuating ferroptosis, linking viral oncogene activity to host cell death pathways. Another study reported that mRNA/LNP vaccines encoding HPV16 E6 and E7 showed preventive and therapeutic efficacy in early-intervention tumor mouse models, reflecting ongoing efforts to develop therapeutic vaccines against HPV-dependent malignancies. Related translational work included a chimeric L1-L2 virus-like particle vaccine targeting common cutaneous HPV1 and a review of therapeutic vaccination approaches for HPV-dependent cancers. In cervical cancer, HPV-directed T cell therapy was also discussed alongside PI3Kα inhibition with alpelisib in PIK3CA-mutant disease, indicating interest in combining molecularly targeted therapy with immune approaches against HPV-driven tumors.

Several studies addressed HPV detection and laboratory methods. CRISPR-initiated exponential amplification on fluorescently barcoded microspheres enabled multiplexed detection of HPV16, HPV18, and HPV33 with low detection limits, illustrating advances in molecular diagnostics. Another study used wastewater metagenomics to track oncogenic viruses and reported rising prevalence of high-risk viruses such as HPV. A separate analysis of tumor microbiota in TCGA datasets noted that detection of known oncomicrobes was variable but excellent for HPV, supporting its relative robustness as a tumor-associated microbial signal. In addition, a study of occupational exposure among healthcare workers highlighted that HPV may be encountered physically or through counseling patients with HPV-related conditions.

Key Publications

• NEWJun Knowledge of human papillomavirus and vaccination attitudes among female university students in Turkey: A cross-sectional study. (African journal of reproductive health, 2026, PMID 42359782): "This study aimed to examine the relationships between human papillomavirus (HPV) knowledge, HPV literacy, and health beliefs among female university students within the framework of the health belief model."
• NEWJun Monitoring the safety of the adjuvanted human papillomavirus vaccine HPV-16/18-AS04 in association with pregnancy and potential immune-related diseases in China: A retrospective observational cohort study. (Human vaccines & immunotherapeutics, 2026, PMID 42348585): "Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection causes cervical cancer."
• NEWJun Assessment of knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding vaccinations among LGBTQIA+ community in Italy. (Human vaccines & immunotherapeutics, 2026, PMID 42348835): "This survey assessed knowledge, attitudes, and vaccinations coverage for Human Papillomavirus (HPV), hepatitis A (HAV), hepatitis B (HBV), monkeypox (Mpox) and the associated determinants among 1944 LGBTQIA+ individuals in Italy."
• Jun Serum human papilloma virus detection following treatment of cervical cancer: prevalence and its correlation with recurrence. (Cancer causes & control : CCC, 2026, PMID 42347892): "The detection of human papilloma virus (HPV) in serum after treatment for cervical cancer warrants further investigation."
• Jun Impact of school nurse education on factors influencing HPV vaccine communication with parents. (Human vaccines & immunotherapeutics, 2026, PMID 42334842): "Human papillomavirus (HPV) can cause six cancer types but can be prevented with timely vaccination in early adolescence."
• Jun A novel HPV E6/E7-regulated long noncoding RNA CRL suppresses cervical intraepithelial neoplasia progression by attenuating ferroptosis. (Human cell, 2026, PMID 42323795): "Sustained human papillomavirus (HPV) infection induces cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), a well-established precursor lesion and risk factor for cervical cancer."
• Jun Ficerafusp Alfa (BCA101) With Pembrolizumab for Recurrent or Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Two-Year Results of an Expansion Cohort of a Phase I/Ib Trial. (Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, 2026, PMID 42102329): "Patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (R/M HNSCC) have a poor prognosis, particularly those with human papillomavirus (HPV)-negative disease, in which elevated epidermal growth factor receptor and transforming growth factor-β impair tumor penetration of immune cells and lessen immunotherapy responses."
• Jun A chimeric L1-L2 virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine targeting common cutaneous human papillomavirus type 1 (HPV1). (Vaccine, 2026, PMID 42155243): "Licensed Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines are comprised of Virus-like Particles (VLP) assembled from the major capsid protein L1 and provide type-restricted protection against the incorporated vaccine types."
• Jun HPV vaccine and age of sexual debut of adolescents: A nationwide cross-sectional study. (Vaccine, 2026, PMID 42105393): "...adherence to HPV (Human Papillomavirus) vaccination..."
• Jun Adverse events following HPV vaccine reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System. (PloS one, 2026, PMID 42308205): "Vaccination against high-risk HPV types is a key preventive measure."