Abstract
For human papillomaviruses (HPVs) and many other oncoviruses, there is a striking gap between our detailed understanding of chronic infections and our limited data on acute infections. We argue that studying the biology of HPV acute infections is necessary and timely. Disentangling early interactions will help explain why some infections become chronic or latent. A better description of immune effectors and pro-inflammatory pathways during the initial stages of infections can also lead to novel treatments, particularly immunotherapies. Furthermore, cervical cancer screening and vaccines impose novel iatrogenic pressures on HPVs, implying that monitoring viral epidemiological diversity and anticipating any evolutionary responses remain essential. Finally, given HPVs are ubiquitous worldwide, reports on the association between HPV acute infections and fertility deserve further investigations. Overall, the extent to which these ‘benign’ infections are virulent largely remains an open challenge.
Key points
Most HPV infections are acute and yet we know little about them compared to chronic infections
Acute HPV infections might affect fertility or cause long-term detrimental effects
Studying acute infections may help prevent and treat chronic infections and cancers, e.g. via immunotherapies
Footnotes
email: samuel.alizon{at}cnrs.fr, Phone: +33.4.48.19.18.67