Research Topic · Peer-Reviewed

Human Papillomavirus

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a large family of small, non-enveloped, double-stranded DNA viruses that infect cutaneous and mucosal epithelium and are transmitted principally through skin-to-skin and sexual contact. More than two hundred genotypes are recognised and are categorised by oncogenic potential into low-ri…

Curated from this journal's research 📚 7 peer-reviewed articles cited Cited 13× across the literature 🔖 ISSN 2994-6743 🗓 Reviewed July 2026

Overview

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a large family of small, non-enveloped, double-stranded DNA viruses that infect cutaneous and mucosal epithelium and are transmitted principally through skin-to-skin and sexual contact. More than two hundred genotypes are recognised and are categorised by oncogenic potential into low-risk types, which cause benign anogenital and skin warts, and high-risk types, which drive virus-induced carcinogenesis. Persistent infection with high-risk genotypes, notably HPV-16 and HPV-18, is the necessary cause of cervical cancer and contributes substantially to cancers of the anus, vulva, vagina, penis, and oropharynx. Oncogenesis is mediated chiefly by the viral E6 and E7 oncoproteins, which inactivate the host tumour-suppressor proteins p53 and retinoblastoma, deregulating the cell cycle and promoting genomic instability and malignant transformation. Most infections are transient and cleared by the immune system, but a minority persist and progress through graded precancerous lesions detectable by cervical cytology and HPV testing. Prevention rests on prophylactic vaccines targeting the major oncogenic and wart-associated types, together with organised screening and treatment of precancerous lesions. Research spans molecular mechanisms of carcinogenesis, the epidemiology of HPV-related disease, the integration of vaccination and screening, and diagnostic approaches including proteomic and genomic techniques applied to cancer detection and personalized medicine.

Research published in this journal

7 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.

How this research is being cited

The 7 articles above have been cited 13 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.

A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Human Papillomavirus, linking to each citing work.

Editorial oversight

Curated from peer-reviewed research published in International Journal of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (ISSN 2994-6743).

Journal editorial board
Jennifer Cunningham-Erves · United States Bassem Refaat · Saudi Arabia Andrea Palicelli · Italy

This page summarises published research for orientation; it is not medical or professional advice.