Treatment of human papillomavirus gynecologic infections

The future holds promise for better prevention and treatment of HPV infections. Currently, therapeutic options for HPV infections are limited, expensive, and often ineffective. Recent advances in understanding the basic virology and natural history of HPV infection have identified hitherto unsuspected approaches to therapy and have suggested novel pharmacologic and other types of interventions. An important area for future research is the need for detailed information about the mechanisms that trigger latent HPV and induce wart formation or promote malignant transformation. Conversely, we also need to know more about mechanisms that keep the virus in check (latent) in many HPV-infected persons.