ABSTRACT
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a double-stranded DNA virus with a tropism for epithelial cells. The other human HPV types that are responsible for only benign lesions are known as "low-risk" HPV types. HPV infects basal epithelial cells of the anogenital mucosa through microabrasions in the epithelial lining. In women, the frequency of HPV infection peaks between the ages of 20 and 24 and then decreases. For the physician, the clinical reality is a large population pool of sexually active asymptomatic women and men who are infected with a variety of strains of HPV. Awareness of the role of HPV in lower genital tract diseases has led to the employment of new treatment strategies. In addition, potentially immunogenic HPV capsid proteins are produced at low levels within epithelial cells, a property that also greatly reduces the potential for an effective immune response. The development of a preventive vaccine against multiple strains of HPV is an amazing story of scientific ingenuity.
