Human papillomavirus and cervical cancer in the microbial world: exploring the vaginal microecology

Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2024 Jan 25:14:1325500. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1325500. eCollection 2024.

Abstract

The vaginal microbiota plays a crucial role in female reproductive health and is considered a biomarker for predicting disease outcomes and personalized testing. However, its relationship with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and cervical cancer is not yet clear. Therefore, this article provides a review of the association between the vaginal microbiota, HPV infection, and cervical cancer. We discuss the composition of the vaginal microbiota, its dysbiosis, and its relationship with HPV infection, as well as potential mechanisms in the development of cervical cancer. In addition, we assess the feasibility of treatment strategies such as probiotics and vaginal microbiota transplantation to modulate the vaginal microbiota for the prevention and treatment of diseases related to HPV infection and cervical cancer. In the future, extensive replication studies are still needed to gain a deeper understanding of the complex relationship between the vaginal microbiota, HPV infection, and cervical cancer, and to clarify the role of the vaginal microbiota as a potential biomarker for predicting disease outcomes, thus providing a theoretical basis for personalized testing.

Keywords: biomarkers; dysbiosis; microbiota transplantation; personalized testing; probiotics.

Publication types

  • Review
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biomarkers
  • Female
  • Human Papillomavirus Viruses
  • Humans
  • Papillomaviridae
  • Papillomavirus Infections* / complications
  • Uterine Cervical Neoplasms*
  • Vagina

Substances

  • Biomarkers

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This work was supported by Gansu Natural Science Fund [Grant No. 22JR5RA684], Gansu Provincial Clinical Research Center for Laboratory Medicine [Grant No. 21JR7RA676].