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Researchers Identify Compounds that May Block HPV's Ability to Cause Cancer

Researchers have identified a set of compounds known as thiadiazolidinediones that interfere with the ability of human papillomavirus (HPV) to disable a key tumor suppressor protein, offering a potential new approach to treatment, according to a report in the April 20, 2012, issue of Chemistry & Biology.

Researchers Develop HPV Protein Inhibitor

Researchers constructed a recombinant protein that interferes with the human papillomavirus (HPV) E2 protein, inhibiting viral replication and its ability to cause cancer.

CROI 2012: Electrocautery Superior to Imiquimod or 5-Fluorouracil for Treatment of Anal Neoplasia

Electrocautery was shown to be more effective and tolerable than topical imiquimod or 5-fluorouracil as a treatment for anal intraepithelial neoplasia (AIN) in HIV positive men who have sex with men (MSM), researchers reported in a late-breaker presentation at the 19th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2012) last week in Seattle.

FDA Approves New Human Papillomavirus Test

The FDA this week approved Roche's new human papillomavirus test, which identifies genotypes of cancer-causing HPV types 16 and 18, as well as detecting 12 other high-risk types.

Electrocautery Prevents Progression to Anal Cancer in HIV Positive and Negative Gay Men

Electrocautery ablation to remove abnormal tissue significantly reduced the likelihood of progression to anal cancer for both HIV positive and HIV negative gay men with high-grade anal intraepithelial neoplasia, according to a study described in the November 30, 2011, advance online edition of the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes.

Anal Pap Screening of HIV+ Men Reveals Half Have Abnormal Cells

More than 80% of HIV positive men agreed to undergo Pap screening for anal cancer, demonstrating its feasibility, and 53% showed signs of potentially pre-cancerous abnormal cell growth.

AASLD 2011: High Rate of Cancer-Causing HPV among Women with Hepatitis C Awaiting Liver Transplants

Nearly 1 in 5 women undergoing liver transplantation -- most of them due to chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection -- were also infected with cancer-causing types of human papillomavirus (HPV), even though their behavioral risk was low, researchers reported at the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases Liver Meeting (AASLD 2011) this week in San Francisco.

CROI 2011: HPV and Anal Cancer Research at CROI 2011

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection remains common among people with HIV and anal cancer is still potentially deadly, researchers reported at CROI 2011.

Rising Rate of Mouth and Throat Cancers Caused by HPV

Oral cancers caused by oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV) -- the same virus that causes cervical and anal cancer -- are increasing in prevalence, researchers reported in the October 3, 2011, advance online edition of the Journal of Clinical Oncology. The trend may be related to growing acceptance of oral sex and a decline in smoking, and suggests that young men as well as young women could benefit from routine HPV vaccination.

Gardasil HPV Vaccine Approved for Anal Cancer

On December 22, 2010, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of Merck's quadrivalent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, Gardasil, for prevention of anal cancer in men and women age 9-26 years. The vaccine -- which targets high-risk HPV types 6, 11, 16, and 18 -- was previously approved for prevention of cervical cancer in young women.

ICAAC 2011: HPV Testing and Pap Smears Identify Anal Cancer Risk in HIV+ Men

Human papillomavirus (HPV) testing and anal Pap testing can detect abnormal cell changes that could progress to anal cancer in HIV positive gay men at an earlier and more treatable stage, and is likely to be cost-effective, according to a study presented at the 51st Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC 2011) this month in Chicago. 

ICAAC 2010: Experimental Drug LMV-601 Inhibits HPV Replication and Abnormal Cell Growth in Laboratory Study

Lumavita's LMV-601, an investigational PC-PLC inhibitor, reduced expression of high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16, 18, and 31, and over time improved pre-cancerous cervical cell abnormalities in a laboratory study, researchers reported at the 50th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC 2010) last month in Boston.

Two HPV Vaccine Doses May Protect as Well as Three

The bivalent Cervarix human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine may protect against cervical cancer with 2 doses, which would reduce inconvenience and cost compared with the current standard 3-dose regimen, according to study findings described in the September 9, 2011, advance online edition of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

AIDS 2010: HPV-associated Cancer among HIV Positive Men and Women in the Combination ART Era

Precancerous anal cell changes and infection with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) types remain common among men with HIV despite effective antiretroviral therapy (ART) that suppresses viral load and restores CD4 cell levels, according to a study presented at the XVIII International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2010) last month in Vienna. A related study found that invasive cervical cancer -- also caused by HPV -- was associated with lower CD4 cell counts among HIV positive women in the large NA-ACCORD cohort.

Cervarix Vaccine Protects Women against HPV that Causes Anal Cancer

The Cervarix human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine reduced anal infection with cancer-causing HPV types 16 and 18 in a study of women in Costa Rica, according to a report in the September 2011 issue of The Lancet Oncology.

Anal Pap Smears to Detect Pre-cancerous Cell Changes Are as Effective as Cervical Screening, especially at Low CD4 Counts

Anal cytology testing works about as well as cervical cytology tests -- better known as Pap smears -- for detecting pre-cancerous cell changes (neoplasia) in HIV positive and HIV negative individuals, according to a study published in the January 28, 2010 issue of AIDS. The test was more accurate for higher grades of neoplasia, for HIV positive participants, and for those with lower CD4 cell counts.

HPV Vaccine Reduces Cervical Abnormalities

Vaccination of young women in Australia against human papillomavirus (HPV) lowered incidence of serious cervical cell abnormalities and early cervical cancer by nearly 40%.

Anal Cancer Treatment Is Equally Effective for HIV Positive and HIV Negative People

HIV positive people with anal cancer can be treated according to standards of care for HIV negative people and achieve equally good outcomes, according to a French retrospective analysis published in the August 15, 2009 issue of Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics.

Lopinavir Fights HPV in Cervical Cancer Cells

The HIV protease inhibitor lopinavir (the main drug in Kaletra) blocked viral proteasome activitation and selectively killed pre-cancerous cervical cells infected with human papillomavirus (HPV).

As reported in the May 3, 2011, advance online edition of Antiviral Therapy, Gavin Batman and Ian Hampson from the University of Manchester in the U.K. and colleagues tested lopinavir in HPV-infected SiHa cervical carcinoma cells in a laboratory study.

Many HIV Positive Women Do Not Receive Recommended Regular Pap Smears for Cervical Cancer

Although they are at higher risk for cervical cancer, nearly 25% of HIV positive women did not received recommended annual Pap screening, which allows impending cancer to be detected and treated at an early stage, according to a study in the August 1, 2009 Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes.