HPV Research

Cervical neoplasia is the abnormal growth of cells on the surface of the cervix that could potentially lead to cervical cancer. Our work translates into developing and testing novel therapeutics aiming to eradicate persistent human papillomaviruses (HPV) infections in women with established pre-cancerous lesions in clinical trials. This has recently led to the first in-human trial of the world’s broadest HPV vaccine – and is a major milestone in the fight against HPV associated cancers.

Worldwide over 530,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year.

This is estimated to increase by approximately 2% per annum to 770,000 new cases by 2030.

Cervical cancer is the most common cancer in women under 35.

UK first for HPV Trial

Congratulations to our OSPREA-Gynae team as the first UK participant in the HPV0001 trial received the first dose of their vaccine on 5th July 2021. HPV001 is investigating the broadest therapeutic vaccine to show efficacy against cervical abnormalities associated with 5 high-risk HPV types and is a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study involving 15 trial sites across the UK and Europe, with Oxford as the lead trial site.

WHAT IS HPV?

High-risk human papillomaviruses (hrHPV) are responsible for anogenital and oropharyngeal cancers, which together account for at least 5% of cancers worldwide. Oncogenic HPV virtually cause 99% of all cervical cancers and the disease is the 4th most common cause of cancer death in females worldwide – making it a global healthcare priority. Although industrialised countries like the United Kingdom have benefitted from effective screening programs, these vital interventions remain inaccessible to millions of women in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where cervical cancer has one of the highest mortality rates.

In the UK, the number of women omitting or withdrawing from the NHS cervical cancer screening program is steadily increasing and this is becoming a national healthcare concern. Whilst there is an urgent need to increase investment in basic health infrastructure in LMIC and promote screening attendance in the developed world, there are now unprecedented opportunities to exploit recent scientific and technological advances in targeting hrHPV-specific immune response mechanisms.

OUR RESEARCH

Whilst the benefit of prophylactic HPV vaccination is undisputed, there is no benefit for patients with established HPV infections. Persistent infections with oncogenic HPV can give rise to precancerous lesions (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, CIN) and ultimately cervical cancer, thus, this will be hugely beneficial for women carrying oncogenic HPV, which are estimated to be 12% in industrialized countries and up to 22% in LMICs.

We are pursuing a variety of immunological approaches, such as novel mass spectrometry techniques, to characterize the immunoprofiles of HPV associated malignancies and develop targeted immunotherapeutics and examine the immune response to natural infection with high-risk HPV.

What's new

Oxford researchers awarded funding to pioneer ovarian cancer vaccine development

14 November 2025

Ovarian cancer remains a devastating global health challenge: each year, over 300,000 women are diagnosed, and nearly 200,000 lives are lost, largely because the disease is detected at a late stage. Women carrying inherited genetic changes face a significantly elevated lifetime risk, over 40%, and current preventive strategies often require invasive surgery that compromises fertility. These limitations underscore an urgent need for non-surgical preventive options, and vaccines could offer a groundbreaking solution.

PRESS

Broadest ever therapeutic HPV vaccine to be tested in clinical trial. Treatment could clear up persistent infections and reduce risk of cervical cancer. Read Guardian article here

Cancer Research UK Grant

Dr Karin Hellner is awarded a Cancer Research UK Biology to Prevention grant to undertake pre-clinical research into a broad-coverage vaccine to treat chronic human papillomavirus infection.

In this award funded by Cancer Research UK, Dr Karin Hellner, Dr Gemma Hancock, and Dr Cesar Lopez-Camacho (Jenner Institute) will design and pre-clinically test a new vaccine to treat chronic HPV infection to reduce the risk of HPV-associated cancers.

Unlike previous therapeutic HPV vaccines, this vaccine will be designed to target more types of HPV to increase the effectiveness of the vaccine in the UK and globally.