A Review on Human Papillomavirus: Epidemiology, Pathogenesis, Advances in Prevention and Treatment

Human papillomavirus (HPV), among the most common viruses, can be classified into more than 200 genotypes as low-risk and high-risk types according to oncogenicity. HPV-6 and HPV-11, for instance, are low-risk types that lead to benign lesion manifestations like genital warts; while types like HPV-16 and HPV-18 are highly associated with many cancers in females, particularly the cervix, oropharynx, as well as other anogenital regions. Direct skin contact including sexual transmission and, in most cases, vertical from mother to child is the way that HPV is transmitted. Persistent HPV infection is a major cause of cervical cancer, so prevention through vaccination and early detection is important. Advancements in HPV research implemented in the development of different diagnostic procedures; including Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), Hybrid Capture II, and p16 immunohistochemistry which further enhance early detection. Preventive vaccines, like Gardasil and Cervarix, have shown a marked efficacy in preventing infections by HPV and related neoplasia, but with little therapeutic intervention on that emerging horizon such as immunotherapy, therapeutic vaccines, or CRISPR-Cas genome editing. With today's advancements, inequalities and hindrances have existed in the future resolution of HPV disease prevalence and inequality in HPV vaccine availability. Countries in the high-income range have put up strong HPV vaccination and screening programs and have markedly reduced the disease burden brought by HPV. Barriers include cost, awareness, and cultural hesitance among other factors that must contend with low-resource settings. Holistic public health initiatives would include improved and even increased vaccine coverage and comprehensive delivery of state-of-the-art diagnostic and therapeutic measures.