Abstract
Cervical cancer is one of the leading causes of death in sexually active female adults, and it is a worldwide problem. According to recent studies, approximately 500 000 women in developed countries have cervical cancer, with approximately 50% mortality rates due to this type of cancer. The human papillomavirus (HPV) is a pathogenic microorganism that is known to cause 70% of the cervical cancer, in particular HPV 16 and 18. However, till to date, there is no cure for HPV even though prophylactic vaccines have been available for over a decade. These vaccines stimulate the body's immune response to the HPV antigens (E6 and E7), which are known to cause cervical cancer once they have infiltrated the cervix epithelium at a later stage. This study aims to assess the efficacy of the current vaccine(s) used as immunization in female adults, as well as the effects of raised antibodies on cervical cancer tumour cells. This was accomplished by administering questionnaires to volunteers, collecting blood specimen and cervix swabs. Immunoaffinity chromatography (IAC) was used to isolate antibodies. Neutralizing antibodies (IgG) were used to treat cervical cancer tumour cells. Alamar Blue was used to test cell proliferation and viability. The study found that sexual behaviors are high-risk factors for HPV and that HPV vaccine induces neutralizing antibodies specific for cervical cancer. It can be concluded that HPV vaccines are effective, and antibodies as a therapeutic measure should be evaluated in 3D rather than 2D. This study will recommends that young boys be vaccinated with HPV vaccines to manage the spread of the virus and protect them from HPV-related diseases in order to reduce the high number of HPV infections.
Keywords: cervical cancer, Human Papillomavirus (HPV), antigen, neutralizing antibodies.