New Technique for HPV Research

Cancer researchers have developed a technique that allows cultivation of much larger quantities of human papillomavirus (HPV) than has previously been possible, which should stimulate the search for treatments and vaccines for cervical, head, neck, and some skin cancers.

Investigators at the University of Wisconsin (Madison, USA) found a novel way to cope with the life cycle of the virus, which initially infects undifferentiated skin cells. As the undifferentiated cells mature, the virus particle acquires a protein coat for its DNA, and begins to manufacture new particles to infect other undifferentiated cells. Previous methods for growing the virus in tissue culture produced very limited amounts of infectious particles.

The new methodology, described in the June 15, 2005, online edition of the Proceedings of the [U. S.] National Academy of Sciences, was based on the addition of viral DNA and capsid protein molecules to cultures of undifferentiated skin cells. "This new approach offers dramatic advantages,” explained senior author Dr. Paul Ahlquist, professor of virology at the University of Wisconsin. "It increases virus yield over a thousand fold, speeds production ten-fold, and lets us make and test virus mutants that were not possible before.”

This method permits the straightforward generation of infectious particles containing wild type, mutant, or chimeric papillomaviral genomes, overcoming barriers to studying many facets of replication, host interactions, and vaccine and drug development.