Vaccination against papillomavirus.

Abstract

Both in humans and in animals, papillomaviruses are the causative agents of a variety of benign epidermal tumors including common warts, flat warts, condylomas, and papillomas. These lesions most often regress, occasionally persist, and, in the presence of additional critical factors, can progress to cancer. Vaccines that protect against papillomavirus infection or induce tumor regression would be beneficial in the treatment of recalcitrant warts and in preventing malignant progression. Recently, successful prophylaxis and rejection of epidermal and alimentary canal tumors have been achieved in cattle with both conventional and genetically engineered vaccines. Successful vaccination in animals has important implications for the management of papillomavirus-associated tumors in humans, particularly laryngeal papillomas and cervical carcinomas.