Virus del papiloma humano (VPH): microbiología, relación con el cáncer de pene y características de la vacuna

Over the past two decades, human papillomavirus (HPV) has been an important object of study due to its causal relation to cervical cancer and its association as a risk factor for anogenital neoplasias, especially penile cancer (PC).  The molecular study of HPV and the identification of essential proteins led to the development of the vaccine, and a clear epidemiologic relation between HPV and PC has also been identified.  With respect to the molecular aspect of that association, the alteration of the P16 cellular pathway by the oncoproteins of the virus is evident, but it is not thought to be the only pathogenic mechanism. The vaccine appears to be effective in preventing HPV infection but there is not sufficient evidence that it protects against PC. Therefore, more research is needed, both in the clinical area, to determine whether the vaccine is definitively effective/efficacious in the prevention of PC, and in molecular biology, studying the molecular mechanisms involved in the pathogeny of that neoplasia.