Molecular Pathogenesis of Human Papillomavirus: Insights into Viral Oncoproteins and Host Integration

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is a major cause of death from cervical cancer and other anogenital cancers throughout the world. Pathogenicity of HPV is governed by intricate interplay of HPV and host cells mediated primarily by its oncoproteins E6 and E7. These oncoproteins disrupt critical pathways, including those involving tumor suppressors p53 and retinoblastoma (Rb) to induce unregulated cell proliferation and evasion of apoptosis. These mechanisms have been studied in order to develop the different diagnostic tools, such as HPV DNA testing and genotyping, and there are emerging techniques based on E6/E7 mRNA detection and high throughput sequencing. In addition, therapeutic strategies have advanced with the vaccines showing ability to prevent high risk HPV infection and ongoing research to developing targeted therapies to disrupt viral oncoprotein function. New diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to HPV research encompassing an expanding clinical landscape hold promise to reduce incidence of HPV associated malignancies and improve patient outcomes. This review summarizes the molecular pathogenesis of HPV with respect to host cells and discusses its implications for diagnostics and therapeutics, including the need for further development in this area.