Unveiling the Therapeutic Horizon: HPV Vaccines and Their Impact on Cutaneous Diseases—A Comprehensive Review

Abstract

Human papillomavirus (HPV) encompasses a diverse array of viruses, comprising approximately 200 serotypes that affect humans. While the majority of HPV strains are associated with benign skin or mucous membrane growths, a subset is implicated in severe health conditions, such as cervical, anal, vulvar, and vaginal cancers. Despite the established effectiveness of HPV vaccines in preventing cervical and anal carcinomas in particular, their therapeutic potential in addressing cutaneous diseases linked to diverse HPV strains remains an intriguing area of investigation. This narrative review critically examines the existing literature to assess the viability of HPV immunization as a therapeutic intervention for prevalent cutaneous conditions. These include genital and extragenital cutaneous warts, epidermodysplasia verruciformis, and keratinocyte carcinomas. The findings suggest a promising dual role for HPV vaccines in preventing and treating dermatologic conditions while emphasizing future research directions, including the immunization perspective against β-HPVs. Moreover, the presence of conflicting study outcomes underscores the imperative for larger-scale, randomized trials with well-matched control groups to validate the efficacy of HPV immunization in the dermatologic context. This review contributes valuable insights into the evolving landscape of HPV-vaccine applications in the field of dermatology.