Department of Research of Papillomavirus and Other Oncoviruses

Diagnosis and treatment of cervical cancer (CC) is a significant issue in women's reproductive health. More than 500,000 new cases are diagnosed worldwide each year, with over 50% of these cases resulting in death. In 1996, the WHO officially recognized the human papillomavirus (HPV) as an etiologic factor in the development of cervical cancer. Understanding the mechanisms of cervical cancer development, and the average time between HPV infection and the development of cervical cancer, makes this cancer today the most manageable and preventable. The costs of organizing and conducting cervical cancer screening, and treating precancerous conditions (cryotherapy, electrocoagulation, or conization of the cervix) are many times lower than the costs of treating advanced forms of invasive cervical cancer (extensive surgeries, radiation and chemotherapy, and long-term rehabilitation).

The success of cervical cancer screening depends on the following factors: the degree of understanding of the disease's epidemiology; the availability of a unified comprehensive screening program approved by the Ministry of Health; the level of public awareness and staff skills in collecting, recording, and completing the accompanying documentation; and the use of a database for analysis and determining the direction of further work. Of all the above factors, public awareness and training of medical personnel in sample collection techniques are currently fundamental. The quality of the cytological smear determines its test characteristics.

In this regard, the Research Institute of Virology is studying the effectiveness of using primary cervical cancer screening methods at the population level – liquid cytology (Pap test) and HPV DNA testing, followed by genotyping of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV). The research project, jointly with KOFIH, "Improving Research and Diagnostics of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) in the Republic of Uzbekistan," will contribute to the development of evidence-based recommendations for the use of the above-mentioned primary screening methods to detect precancerous conditions and further improve the health of women in our country, as well as contribute to increasing the capacity of medical institutions in Uzbekistan.

Lyubov Mikhailovna Lokteva

Since May 5, 2023:

Head of the Papillomavirus and Oncovirus Research Department

WORK EXPERIENCE

2004-2011 - Student at the Tashkent Pediatric Medical Institute.

2011-2014 - Master's degree at the Tashkent Pediatric Medical Institute.

2013-2014 - Manager at British Pharma.

2014-2016 - Infectious disease specialist at the Kungirot District Medical Association.

2016-2021 - Virologist at the Reference Laboratory of the Research Institute of Virology.

2021-2023 - Master's student at Hiroshima University, Japan.

2023 - H.V. - Head of the Research Department "Papillomavirus and Oncovirus" of the Research Institute of Virology of the Republican Specialized Medical Center for Epidemiology, Microbiology, Infectious and Parasitic Diseases