Human Papillomavirus (HPV): Therapeutic Vaccines and Vaccination Strategies

Background: The human papillomavirus (HPV) has been studied for over a century. Although human warts have been described since ancient times, the presence of HPV in this type of skin and genital lesions was only recognized in the mid-20th century. Currently, HPV is recognized as the most common sexually transmitted infection worldwide. More than 200 genotypes have been identified, with high-risk types being strongly associated with anogenital and oropharyngeal cancers. New therapeutic vaccines currently under study aim to treat established HPV infections in patients with neoplastic lesions at various stages of development. Methods: This study is a descriptive, qualitative, and retrospective study. It was conducted through a systematic bibliographic review of the scientific literature on human papillomavirus (HPV), therapeutic vaccines, and vaccination strategies. Results: Although no therapeutic vaccine has yet been approved for use in humans, preliminary results are encouraging and suggest a potential impact in reducing the progression to invasive cancer. Based on the results obtained by the authors included in this review, we can conclude that therapeutic vaccines are emerging not only as a medical necessity, but as one of the most promising tools in the evolution of treatment for HPV and its related pathologies. Conclusión: Therapeutic vaccines have the potential to become a central pillar of clinical management for high-grade intraepithelial lesions (CIN 2/3) and early cervical cancer, as they not only provide a less invasive strategy than traditional surgical treatments but could also help reduce disease recurrence and improve patients' quality of life.