Vaccine against human papillomavirus (HPV)

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a sexually-transmitted virus infecting the skin and mucosal tissues. From a structural perspective, HPV is a highly unstable virus and impossible to mass-produce in the laboratory. Therefore, a vaccine based on live viral elements was not feasible. Instead, Ian Frazer and Jian Zhou at the University of Queensland, Australia, devised the formation of “virus-like particles” (VLPs) for their HPV vaccine.

Constructed from a yeast known as Saccharomyces cerevisiae – the brewer’s yeast traditionally used to make wine and beer – these “virus lookalikes” mimic the surface structure of HPV viral DNA. Injected into the human body, virus-like particles elicit the production of 30-80 times more antibodies than their natural counterparts. The vaccine “teaches” the immune system to defeat the virus, without containing any actual viral DNA.

The widely available vaccine has been used over 125 million times since market entry in 2006. Administered via injection, the vaccine not only offers full protection from “high-risk” types of human papillomavirus (HPV), mainly HPV 16 and HPV 18, but also from HPV types 6 and 11, which cause 90% of genital-wart infections.

Being able to break the connection from virus to cancer with a vaccine unlocks a powerful new approach: Instead of relying on preventative screening for cancer, or initiating treatment after patients present with symptoms, doctors are now able to stop cancer-causing HPV in its tracks. Immunization initiatives against HPV have gained traction around the world.