How HPV first infects skin and cervical cells
Immediate early events of the HPV life cycle
['FUNDING_R01'] · LOUISIANA STATE UNIV HSC SHREVEPORT · NIH-11308724
This project looks at how human papillomavirus (HPV) enters and begins copying itself in skin and cervical cells to help find ways to prevent infection and disease.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | LOUISIANA STATE UNIV HSC SHREVEPORT (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (SHREVEPORT, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11308724 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
From your perspective, researchers grow human skin and cervical cells in the lab and use a new infection method that mimics how HPV reaches those cells to watch the very first steps of infection. They use engineered HPV particles and an extracellular matrix-to-cell transfer system that produces efficient infection of primary keratinocytes so the team can follow viral genome copy changes and viral protein actions. The work includes genetic manipulation of viral factors and organotypic raft cultures to reproduce the full viral lifecycle and sensitive methods to detect viral genomes in infected cells. This lab-based approach aims to show how HPV establishes persistent infection and to point to early targets that might block transmission or disease progression.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with current or recent HPV infections, those at higher risk of HPV exposure, or individuals willing to donate skin or cervical cell samples would be most relevant to this work.
Not a fit: People without HPV exposure or those already treated for advanced HPV-related cancer are unlikely to get direct benefit from this lab-focused project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the project could identify early viral steps or targets that lead to new ways to block HPV infection or prevent progression to cancer.
How similar studies have performed: Other lab models have helped study parts of the HPV lifecycle, and this newer extracellular matrix-to-cell infection system is a recent advance that makes early events easier to study, though direct clinical benefits remain unproven.
Where this research is happening
SHREVEPORT, UNITED STATES
- LOUISIANA STATE UNIV HSC SHREVEPORT — SHREVEPORT, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: ZWOLINSKA, KATARZYNA — LOUISIANA STATE UNIV HSC SHREVEPORT
- Study coordinator: ZWOLINSKA, KATARZYNA
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.