Human cellular immune responses against human papillomaviruses in cervical neoplasia.
Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are ubiquitous DNA viruses that infect cutaneous and mucosal epithelia. A subset of HPVs infects the female genital tract, to induce cervical lesions that can progress to malignancy in some women. DNA from HPVs can be found in >94% of cervical carcinomas (CaCx) worldwide; this strong association suggests that it might be possible to develop either prophylaxis or therapies for cervical neoplasia, based on the manipulation of human immune responses against HPVs. This review examines the current research into human immune responses against HPVs in CaCx and the potential impact of this research on human health.
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Department of Medicine, University of Wales College of Medicine, Tenovus Building, Heath Park, Cardiff, CF4 4XX, Wales, UK. wmdsm@cf.ac.uk