Therapeutic and Diagnostic Potential of HPV16 E6 and E7 Oncoproteins in Cervical and Oropharyngeal Carcinogenesis: A Scoping Review

Abstract

This scoping review aimed to summarize the current evidence on the role of HPV type 16 E6 and E7 oncoproteins in cervical and oropharyngeal carcinogenesis, and their potential applications in the development of therapeutic vaccines and diagnostic tools. The review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR), and the protocol was registered in the Open Science Framework (OSF). The viral oncoproteins E6 and E7 are essential in promoting viral replication and are central to the processes of cellular immortalization and malignant transformation. Genomic instability caused by the expression of the E6 and E7 oncoproteins is a mechanism that leads to the accumulation of multiple mutations in HPV-induced cancers. Therapeutic vaccination strategies have shown promising outcomes in managing cervical and oropharyngeal cancers by inducing targeted immune responses against HPV-specific antigens. Therefore, HPV16 E6 and E7 oncoproteins emerge as compelling therapeutic targets, capable of inducing cellular senescence and apoptosis without off-target effects, and hold strong potential as biomarkers and as the basis for novel therapeutic strategies in cervical and oropharyngeal tumors.