Searching for antiviral drugs for human papillomaviruses

The human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are ubiquitous human pathogens that cause a wide variety of benign and pre-malignant epithelial tumours. Of the almo st 100 different types of HPV that have been characterized to date, approxi mately two dozen specifically infect genital and oral mucosa. Mucosal HPVs are most frequently sexually transmitted and, with an incidence roughly twi ce that of herpes simplex virus infection, are considered one of the most c ommon sexually transmitted diseases throughout the world. A subset of genit al HPVs, termed 'high-risk' HPVs, is highly associated with the development of genital cancers including cervical carcinoma. The absence of a simple m onolayer cell culture system for analysis and propagation of the virus has substantially retarded progress in the development of diagnostic and therap eutic strategies for HPV infection. In spite of these difficulties, great p rogress has been made in the elucidation of the molecular controls of virus gene expression, replication and pathogenesis. With this knowledge and som e important new tools, there is great potential for the development of impr oved diagnostic and prognostic tests, prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines , and traditional antiviral medicines.