HPV on clearance

A new mathematical model describing the response to human papillomavirus (HPV) may explain why some individuals seem to clear the virus while others develop various forms of cancer.

The model, developed by Marc Ryser and colleagues at Duke University, looked at how HPV infection is cleared at the level of the tissue. The key question was whether elimination of HPV is driven by the immune system - the prevailing theory - or whether the way that infected stem cells divide is a significant factor as well. Ryser is a visiting assistant professor at Duke...