Current HPV therapeutic vaccine development and impact on cervical cancer prevalence and mortality

Cervical cancer is considered to be the fourth most common cancer in the women's population globally, as reported by WHO in 2024. We have achieved great success in the research and development of HPV prophylactic vaccines, and HPV prophylactic vaccines have effectively reduced the prevalence of HPV. While 90% of HPV infections can be stopped by having injections of HPV prophylactic vaccine, there is currently no effective method that can prevent the spread of HPV induced malignancies and cervical cancer after infection takes place in unvaccinated individuals. This forces people who are diagnosed with cervical cancer to choose more painful treatment options; this high mortality rate and painful treatment increase awareness of the development of HPV therapeutic vaccines. Current HPV therapeutic vaccines are designed to target E6 and E7 oncoproteins, activate CD8+ T cells, clear the infection and prevent further development of infected cells. 9 HPV therapeutic vaccines are under development, with 8 in phase 2 clinical trials and one in phase 1. The development of the HPV therapeutic vaccine has the potential to reduce the mortality of cervical cancer, thereby improving the quality and lifespan of affected individuals. This article will summarise the development, advantages and disadvantages of HPV therapeutic vaccines to determine whether they can substantially help reduce the incidence of cervical cancer.