FIRST CLICK HERE AND READ OUR OVERVIEW on cervical cancer
Certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV) cause cervical and vulval cancer. Cancer research UK even reckon they can lie behind throat cancer (a cancer that is growing rapidly amongst 40 somethings). However these cancers are difficult to treat because following initial infection the virus can lurk in cells undetected for years before becoming active.
Only some types of HPV are linked to cervical and vulval cancer
The research, funded by Cancer Research UK and the Medical Research Council, and published in Oncogene vol 21 issue 51 was conducted by a team, led by Professor Saveria Campo at the Institute of Comparative Medicine, Glasgow University. A papillomavirus protein called E5 makes the virus a master of disguise. This deception prevents the body’s natural defences from spotting the infection early and dealing with it.
There are over 70 types of HPV but only some are linked to cervical and vulval cancer. These high-risk types can cause changes in the cells covering the cervix or vulva that make them more likely to become cancerous.
"We know the viral E5 protein is present in high risk types of HPV. Now we understand how it works it could lead to treatments that will target this protein and inhibit it. The body will then make an effective immune response - stopping infection early and preventing the development of cancer," says Professor Campo.
E5 works by blocking the transport of a molecule called MHC class 1 to a cell’s surface. This molecule would normally act as an alarm signal to the body’s immune system - warning that the cell was infected and needed to be attacked.
Cancer Research UK experts have reported that around 99 per cent of cervical cancer biopsies contain high-risk HPVs. The virus is also believed to be responsible for between 30-50 per cent of vulval cancers. There are over 70 different types of HPV.
Dr Lesley Walker, Director of Science Information at Cancer Research UK, says: "Particularly with cervical cancer we’ve seen a huge drop of 33 per cent in the number of cases since 1982, largely due to screening". "An effective HPV treatment that allows the immune system to do its job could really push these figures down further. By preventing women developing the earliest stages of infection we can block the route of the cancer’s development."