The HPV-Associated Diseases: Screening, Prophylactic and Therapeutic Vaccines event took place on September 11–13, 2025. Over three days, participants gathered at the Auditorium of the São Paulo State Cancer Institute (ICESP) to deepen their knowledge through an introductory course and thematic sessions, learning about the latest advances developed in Brazil and around the world.
The event brought together national and international scientists to discuss diseases caused by HPV, particularly cancers. The Scientific Committee was composed of professors and researchers from ICESP and the University of São Paulo (USP): Prof. Laura Sichero (ICESP/FMUSP), Prof. Ana Paula Lepique (Institute of Biomedical Sciences, ICB-USP), Prof. Luisa Lina Villa (ICESP/FMUSP), and Dr. Aline Lopes Ribeiro (ICESP).
A total of 130 participants attended, including Brazilians from all regions of the country and international participants from South Africa, Argentina, Canada, Ecuador, the United States, the Netherlands, Italy, Mexico, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Prof. Laura Sichero emphasized: “We were able to bring together many researchers from Brazil and Latin America. HPV research carried out in these countries is of high quality, and we expect that several collaborations have been or will be established among participants.”
Commenting on the importance of the event and the ongoing fight against HPV, Prof. Ana Paula Lepique stated: “Cancer resulting from HPV infections remains a significant public health issue. Although there have been substantial advances in detecting both infections and precursor lesions, it is still necessary to continuously improve screening programs. Furthermore, the prophylactic vaccines available have shown high safety and efficacy in prevention. In Brazil and other countries, the main challenge lies in raising awareness about the importance of HPV immunization.”
Tribute to Professor Luisa Villa
During the opening ceremony, Prof. Luisa Villa, faculty member at the Faculdade de Medicina da USP (FMUSP), head of the Cancer Innovation Laboratory at ICESP, and a world reference in HPV research, received a surprise tribute led by Prof. Laura Sichero and Prof. Eduardo L. Franco (McGill University, Canada).
Prof. Laura Sichero, who was mentored by Prof. Villa during her master’s and doctoral studies, highlighted her role as a scientist, mentor, and friend. Prof. Eduardo L. Franco recalled her many professional achievements over more than 50 years of career, as well as the awards and honors received throughout her trajectory.
“I am absolutely delighted with this beautiful surprise. It has been more than 50 years dedicated to research. I am extremely grateful for this tribute and to the students and collaborators who have been by my side for so many years, making it possible for us to contribute to scientific knowledge and public health,” said Prof. Luisa Villa.
Oral and Poster Presentations
In addition to expert lectures, two days of the event also featured space for oral and poster presentations. The best works selected were the oral presentations by Dr. Valéria Talpe-Nunes (ICESP) and MSc. Mattheus de Abreu (A.C.Camargo Cancer Center), as well as the poster presentation by MSc. Pamela Esther Mongelós Dacunte (Universidad Nacional de Asunción, Paraguay). The three received awards granted by The FEBS Journal.
The evaluation committee also granted three honorable mentions to the oral presentations of MSc. Caroline Carvalho de Sá (National Cancer Institute, INCA), Dr. Suellen da Silva Gomes Herbster (ICB-USP), and Dr. Paul Leon Gomez (Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Ecuador).
Prof. Luisa Villa praised the presentations by young researchers: “We had the participation of several students and young researchers who presented work conducted both here and in other parts of Brazil and Latin America. It was a very successful event in showcasing the best we have on HPVs and the cancers they cause.”
Highlights of the Event
Day 1 – Introductory Course
As part of the introductory course, Prof. Laura Sichero gave a lecture on HPV, addressing its structure, the discovery of the link between HPV and cancer—particularly cervical cancer—and HPV taxonomy, explaining the different lineages and their varying risks of carcinogenesis.
Prof. Enrique Boccardo (ICB-USP) continued with the HPV life cycle, covering genome organization, differences among HPV types, viral entry into cells, gene expression, replication, possible DNA integration into the host cell genome, and viral particle release.
Prof. Lawrence Banks (ICGEB) spoke about HPV carcinogenesis, emphasizing that HPV causes 5% of cancers in humans. Almost 100% of cervical cancer cases are caused by HPV, along with 70% of anogenital cancers. He explained the oncogenic potential of different HPV types, highlighting HPV-16 and HPV-18.
Finally, Prof. Ana Paula Lepique addressed the immune response to HPV, from the reaction of infected epithelial cells to how the immune system recognizes and responds to the virus, including innate and adaptive immunity.
In the afternoon, lectures on Epidemiology followed. HPV infections in women were addressed by Prof. Eduardo Franco, while infections in men were discussed by Prof. Anna Giuliano (H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, USA).
Day 2 – Head and Neck Cancer and Cervical Cancer Screening
The second day opened with the session HPV and Head and Neck Cancer, led by Prof. Luiz Paulo Kowalski (FMUSP/A.C.Camargo Cancer Center), who discussed HPV-related head and neck cancers, covering biomarkers, risk factors, diagnosis, and prognosis.
This was followed by sessions on Cervical Cancer Screening. Each roundtable highlighted different aspects: Cytology, led by Prof. Silvina Arrossi (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Argentina), brought together experiences from several South American countries; HPV Testing, chaired by Prof. Eduardo L. Franco, discussed current testing strategies; the session on Methylation, led by Prof. Renske Steenbergen (University of Amsterdam, Netherlands), explored methylation markers, screening for women living with HIV, and miRNA signatures; and, coordinated by Prof. Luisa Villa, a panel on the Implementation of HPV DNA testing for cervical cancer screening in Brazil provided a national overview, with emphasis on practical experiences and future perspectives.
Day 3 – Biomarkers and Vaccines
The third day featured three main sessions. Prof. Renske Steenbergen chaired the Biomarkers session, presenting advances in prognostic markers and risk stratification of HPV-associated lesions. Prof. Anna Giuliano then led the segment on prophylactic HPV vaccines, discussing vaccine implementation and new candidates under study, and delivered a seminar on the global status of HPV vaccination. Finally, a session on therapeutic vaccines included a seminar by Dr. Nicolas Çuburu (National Institutes of Health, NIH, USA), who discussed immunization strategies for therapy and the development of antiviral drugs targeting HPV oncoproteins.
The event was funded by the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES), and ICESP, with sponsorship from MSD, Promega, Analítica, PensaBio, Qiagen, and Sinapse.
