Human Papillomavirus and Cancers: Advances and Future Prospects

Dear Colleagues,

Human Papillomaviruses (HPVs) are non-enveloped, double–stranded circular DNA viruses that infect basal keratinocytes of mucosal and cutaneous epithelia. Persistent high-risk HPV infection is the etiologic agent of approximately all cervical cancer incidences and of a considerable part of various types of malignancies including vulvar, vaginal, anal, penile, oropharyngeal and skin cancers.  Although cytological testing (the Papanicolaou, Pap test), HPV screening and HPV vaccination programs have reduced the rates of cervical malignancy, it remains a major public health problem, globally.

HPVs have developed several molecular approaches in order to inhibit cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis.  The extensive expression of viral oncoproteins and the integration of viral DNA into the host chromosome are involved in chromosomal instability and the accumulation of DNA damage in the infected cells, thus leading to cancer development. Moreover, various epigenetic changes, including viral or host genes΄ methylation and miRNAs differential expression play an important role in host-viral interplay. The HPV tumorigenic capacity has also been associated with specific nucleotide and amino-acid substitutions, characterizing specific genotypes and variant lineages, that have been reported globally.  

The aim of this special issue is to better understand the molecular mechanisms that are implicated in HPV carcinogenicity. We welcome submissions of research articles and reviews focused on the following potential topics (but are not limited to): molecular mechanisms (e.g epigenetic mechanisms, viral integration events, viral oncoproteins deregulation), HPV genetic variability, biomarkers development, molecular epidemiology and new HPV detection and genotyping molecular assays in order to meet expert views, state of the art and recent advancements in the field of HPV,  in the present Special Issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 

Dr. Christine Kottaridi
Dr. Dimitris Tsakogiannis
Dr. Zaharoula Kyriakopoulou
Guest Editors

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• α-HPV
• β-ΗPV
• γ-HPV
• variability
• epidemiology
• oncogenic viruses
• methylation
• miRNA
• biomarkers
• molecular typing
• carcinogenesis
• cervical cancer
• oropharyngeal cancer
• skin cancer