PROPHYLACTIC AND THERAPEUTIC VACCINATION AGAINST A MUCOSAL PAPILLOMAVIRUS

Papillomaviruses are ubiquitous DNA viruses affecting humans and anima ls and causing a variety of tumours of mucosal and cutaneous epithelia . Some of these lesions, particularly those affecting mucosal epitheli a, can progress to squamous cell carcinomas. Prevention or cure of vir al infection would ultimately lead to a decrease in the incidence of p apillomavirus-associated cancers. Using recombinant proteins. we have developed prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines against bovine papillo mavirus type 4, a mucosal papillomavirus implicated in cancer of the a limentary canal in cattle, similar possibilities exist for the human m ucosal papillomaviruses.