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Publications

Journal Article Ahead of print 2 citations

PubMed: 41507632 DOI: 10.1007/s10147-026-02961-z

Lack of molecular mimicry between HPV vaccine L1 antigen and human proteins by a computational analysis.

Int J Clin Oncol

Authors: Kazuhiro Nishioka, Kentaro Sekiyama, Reona Shiro, Ikuo Tsunoda, Noriomi Matsumura

Affiliations

  • Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kindai University Nara Hospital, 1248-1, Otodacho, Ikoma, Nara, 630-0293, Japan.
  • Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kindai University, 1-14-1, Miharadai, Minami-ku, Sakai, Osaka, 590-0197, Japan.
  • Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Kindai University, 1-14-1, Miharadai, Minami-ku, Sakai, Osaka, 589-8511, Japan.

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Although human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines effectively prevent cervical cancer, the HPV vaccination rates in Japan remain low because of concerns about alleged neurological adverse events. Darja Kanduc proposed a flawed hypothesis that molecular mimicry between HPV and human proteins could induce cross-reactive antibodies, causing autoimmune organ damage, even when only the portions of amino acid (AA)-sequences of the epitopes were identical between HPV and human proteins.

METHODS

In this study, we conducted the same computational data analysis as Kanduc, using 22 linear epitopes (9-23 AA-length) of the HPV type 16 L1 protein (HPV16L1) registered in the database.

RESULTS

We found that no human epitopes had identical AA-sequences to any HPV16L1 epitopes, demonstrating that HPV16L1 had no molecular mimicry with linear epitopes that have the potential to induce cross-reactive autoantibodies. On the other hand, we identified various numbers of human protein epitopes whose AA-sequences were partially identical with epitopes of HPV16L1, hepatitis B virus (HBV), and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). We found that HPV16L1 had a smaller number of such proteins having "partial molecular mimicry" than HBV and RSV.

CONCLUSIONS

Our current in silico analysis provided no evidence that HPV vaccinations could induce cross-reactive autoantibodies. The flawed molecular mimicry data should not be used as a scientific basis for alleged HPV vaccine-induced adverse events.

MeSH

Autoantibodies, Respiratory Syncytial Viruses, Epitopes, Leukocyte L1 Antigen Complex, Vaccines, Antibodies, Molecular Mimicry, Neoplasms, Vaccination, Drug-Related Side Effects And Adverse Reactions, Viruses, Alphapapillomavirus, Human Papillomavirus Viruses