Grant: Operating Grant

Worldwide, cervical cancer is the second leading cause of cancer in women. Cervical cancer is most common in Latin and in sub-Saharan Africa, and the Caribbean. Because it is much more common in developing countries, it has been described as a disease of poorer nations. We now know that human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the cause of cervical cancer. HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection, and most sexually-active women acquire HPV infection over their lifetime. Usually these infections are not noticed or only cause external warts, which although benign, are difficult to treat and often lead to social stigmatization. Most HPV infections will not lead to cervical cancer, only those that involve certain types of this virus and that persist for a long time. There is currently a vaccine available that prevents two of the types of HPV infection that cause cervical cancer, but unfortunately it is effective only before and not after the infection is established. Furthermore, HPV vaccination is too expensive for use in developing countries. A HPV inhibitory compound in the form of a topical microbicide that kills viruses might be useful for blocking the spread of HPV. Researchers have identified carrageenan (an inexpensive gelling agent) as a potent HPV infection inhibitor in laboratory and animal studies. If an inexpensive topical microbicide is identified that eliminates HPV, this would serve as a very useful method to help reduce the burden of HPV infection and cervical cancer in developing and developed countries, in a cost-effective way. It could also reduce the risk of women's precancerous lesions of the uterine cervix and eventually help reduce the need for costly Pap test screening and treatment procedures. This study is the first to investigate whether a topical microbicide that contains carrageenan is effective in preventing transmission of HPV.