Cervical cancer caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), known to affect 8 out of 10 women at least once in their lifetime, has been found to be curable with messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) injections. Currently, it has been known that there is no cure for HPV infection and that it can only be prevented if it is vaccinated beforehand.
A joint research team that includes the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil, the University of Pennsylvania in the United States, and BioNTech in Germany conducted an experiment on mice with three mRNA vaccines in the international journal ‘Science Translational Medicine’ on the 3rd (local time ) It was announced that it was found that the tumor could be removed. This research is attracting attention with the participation of Katalin Carico, senior vice president of BioNTech, the founder of mRNA technology.
With mRNA vaccines being very successful in combating the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, there is widespread interest in developing potent vaccines against other infectious diseases and cancer. The same is true of HPV, the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women.
The research team compared the performance of three different mRNA vaccines against HPV-infected tumors: a non-replicating mRNA vaccine, a nucleoside-modified non-replicating mRNA vaccine, and a self-amplifying mRNA vaccine. As a result, both the self-amplifying mRNA vaccine and the non-replicating mRNA vaccine were found to inhibit the number and size of cancer cells. In particular, it was also confirmed that all three vaccines were more effective than recombinant protein vaccines.
At the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) held in Washington, DC, USA on the 2nd of this month (local time), Professor Norbert Pardi, professor of microbiology at the University of Pennsylvania, participated in the event. the study said, “HPV is a disease that affects 80% of the world’s population, and HPV infection is a man It accounts for a significant proportion of cancers in women and causes cervical cancer, which’ n particularly fatal for women.” cancer treatment is being developed, but it is not yet ideal, so other treatments such as vaccines are needed to reduce cancer deaths due to HPV infection “It is important to find out,” he said.
Since the past, research on the response of cancer caused by HPV has been ongoing. In 2019, BioNTech confirmed the possibility of responding to HPV-related cancer through animal experiments using mRNA vaccines. It is currently undergoing phase 2 clinical trials.
In this regard, Professor Cornelia Liu Trimble at Johns Hopkins University said, “The DNA vaccine was effective in rat experiments, but it was not effective in humans.” “The mRNA vaccine has confirmed its safety and potential with Corona 19.”
HPV was identified as the main cause of oropharyngeal cancer in 2007. It is well known as a virus that causes cervical cancer, and there are about 40 types, of which types 16 and 18 cause cancer. Other types of HPV can cause warts in the mouth and throat, but do not develop cancer. However, there is currently no cure and only a preventative vaccine exists.
