Arfiya Fatima and Ravi Kant Upadhyay*

Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gorakhpur University, Gorakhpur 273009. U.P. India

*Corresponding Author: Ravi Kant Upadhyay, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gorakhpur University, Gorakhpur 273009. U.P. India.

Received: April 22, 2026 Published: May 11, 2026

Abstract

This article presents various causes of cervical cancer, immunological methods and vaccines use for cervical cancer. It also sketches out various risk factors and diagnostic methods. HPV biology and immunopathogenesis, conventional and emerging treatment strategies, and the current landscape of prophylactic and therapeutic HPV vaccines. Particular attention is given to DNA-, RNA-, peptide-, viral vector-, and cell-based vaccine platforms, as well as nanoparticle-assisted delivery systems and combination strategies with immune checkpoint inhibitors. We also highlight implementation challenges, the World Health Organization cervical cancer elimination strategy, and future opportunities in personalized immunotherapy, biomarker-guided management, and equitable vaccine deployment. A multidisciplinary approach integrating vaccination, screening, early diagnosis, and innovative therapeutics will be essential for reducing disease burden and advancing cervical cancer control. Among therapeutic HPV vaccines, all these induce strong cell-mediated immunity, especially cytotoxic CD8+ T-cell responses, against the viral antigens constitutively expressed in infected and transformed cells. Combination therapy may improve antigen release, dendritic cell activation, intra tumoral T-cell recruitment, and reversal of immunosuppression.

Keywords: Cervical Cancer; Human Papillomavirus; HPV Vaccine; Prophylactic Vaccine; Therapeutic Vaccine; Immunotherapy; Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors; Vaccine Design

References

1. Sung H., et al. “Global cancer statistics 2022”. CA Cancer Journal of Clinics1 (2023): 17-48.
2. Arbyn M., et al. “Global burden of cervical cancer”. Lancet Global Health 8 (2020): e191-e203.
3. World Health Organization. “Global strategy to eliminate cervical cancer”. WHO (2020).
4. Doorbar J., et al. “HPV molecular biology”. Reviews in Medical Virology S1 (2015): 2-23.
5. Graham SV. “HPV replication cycle”. Nature Reviews Microbiology 15 (2017): 684-698.
6. Crosbie EJ., et al. “HPV and cervical cancer”. Lancet 382 (2013): 889-899.
7. Schiffman M and Castle PE. “HPV epidemiology”. Nature Reviews Cancer (2007): 11-22.
8. Moody CA and Laimins LA. “HPV pathogenesis”. Nature Reviews Cancer 10 (2010): 550-560.
9. McBride AA. “HPV integration”. Nature Reviews Cancer 12 (2012): 497-507.
10. Scheffner M., et al. “HPV E6 and p53”. Cell 63 (1990): 1129-1136.
11. Dyson N., et al. “HPV E7 and Rb”. Science 243 (1989): 934-937.
12. Stanley M. “Immune response to HPV”. Vaccine 24 (2006): S16-S22.
13. Plummer M., et al. “Smoking and cervical cancer”. International Journal of Cancer 130 (2012): 1-9.
14. Mitra A., et al. “Cervical microbiota and HPV”. Science Translational Medicine 7 (2015): 293ra94.
15. Clifford GM., et al. “HPV types distribution”. Lancet 362 (2003): 991-998.
16. Harper DM., et al. “HPV vaccine efficacy”. Lancet 364 (2004): 1757-1765.
17. Garland SM., et al. “Quadrivalent vaccine”. The New England Journal of Medicine 356 (2007): 1928-1943.
18. Joura EA., et al. “9-valent HPV vaccine”. The New England Journal of Medicine 372 (2015): 711-723.
19. Schiller JT, Lowy DR. HPV vaccine development”. Nature Reviews Microbiology 10 (2012): 681-692.
20. Mo Y., et al. “HPV vaccines overview”. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology 12 (2022): 909223.
21. World Health Organization. “HPV vaccines update”. WER (2024).
22. Kim TJ., et al. “GX-188E vaccine”. Clinical Cancer Research 20 (2014): 161-172.
23. Trimble CL., et al. “VGX-3100 efficacy”. Lancet 386 (2015): 2078-2088.
24. Melief CJM., et al. “Cancer vaccines”. Journal of Clinical Investigation 125 (2015): 3401-3412.
25. Rosales R., et al. “HPV therapeutic vaccines”. Expert Reviews Vaccines 16 (2017): 1227-1240.
26. Butterfield LH. “Cancer vaccines”. BMJ 350 (2015): h988.
27. Palucka K and Banchereau J. “DC vaccines”. Nature Reviews Cancer 12 (2012): 265-277.
28. Draper SJ and Heeney JL. “Viral vectors”. Nature Reviews Microbiology 8 (2010): 62-73.
29. Kaufman HL., et al. “Oncolytic viruses”. Nature Reviews Drug Discovery 14 (2015): 642-662.
30. Kim YC., et al. “DNA vaccines. NPJ Vaccines 6 (2021): 13.
31. Pardi N., et al. “mRNA vaccines”. Nature Reviews Drug Discovery 17 (2018): 261-279.
32. Sahin U., et al. “mRNA cancer vaccines”. Nature Reviews Drug Discovery 13 (2014): 759-780.
33. Hou X., et al. “Lipid nanoparticles”. Nature Reviews Material 6 (2021): 1078-1094.
34. Shi J., et al. “Nanomedicine”. Nature Reviews Cancer 17 (2017): 20-37.
35. Peer D., et al. “Nanocarriers”. Nature Nanotechnology 2 (2007): 751-760.
36. Burtness B., et al. “Pembrolizumab trial”. Lancet 394 (2019): 1915-1928.
37. Colombo N., et al. “KEYNOTE-826”. The New England Journal of Medicine 385 (2021): 1856-1867.
38. Naumann RW., et al. “Pembrolizumab cervical cancer”. Journal of Clinical Oncology 37 (2019): 1470-1478.
39. Lorusso D and Colombo N. “Immunotherapy”. Annals of Oncology 33 (2022): 561-572.
40. Sharma P and Allison JP. “Checkpoint therapy”. Cell 161 (2015): 205-214.
41. Topalian SL., et al. “Immune checkpoint blockade”. Cancer Cell 27 (2015): 450-461.
42. Galluzzi L., et al. “Immunogenic cell death”. Nature Reviews Immunology 17 (2017): 97-111.
43. Demaria S., et al. “Radiotherapy synergy”. Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology 12 (2015): 731-741.
44. Hegde PS., et al. “Immunotherapy combinations”. Cancer Cell 29 (2016): 821-832.
45. National Cancer Institute. “Cervical cancer treatment (PDQ).” (2024).
46. “Cervical cancer elimination progress report”. (2023).
47. Tomc J., et al. “HPV vaccination cohort Slovenia”. (2025).
48. Hu K., et al. “HPV vaccine effectiveness cohort”. Lancet Regional Health European (2025).
49. Petráš M., et al. “Post-vaccination CIN recurrence”. Human Vaccine Immunotherapy (2024).
50. Oliveira CR., et al. “Vaccine effectiveness by age”. Lancet Regional Health American (2025).

Citation

Citation: Arfiya Fatima and Ravi Kant Upadhyay. “HPV Vaccination Effectiveness in Cohort Studies: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Infection Outcomes and Cervical Neoplasia Progression". Acta Scientific Cancer Biology 10.3 (2026): 26-38.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2026 Arfiya Fatima and Ravi Kant Upadhyay. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.