Infection with varieties of HPV, human papillomavirus, can cause warts, including genital warts—and, more seriously, cervical cancer. So stopping HPV-infected cells from engaging in uninhibited cell division seems like a really good idea. Researchers at Pennsylvania State University are working on a way to use gene therapy to stop two proteins that help cause the wild cell division involved in cancer.

What the researchers wanted to know: Can HPV-infected cells be stopped from dividing?

What they did: For the two proteins, unevocatively named E6 and E7, the researchers plucked out RNA sequences that they might be able to block. RNA molecules carry information around a cell to help genes produce proteins. Next, the researchers made molecules that would bind to that RNA and block it, and tested them on tiny pieces of human foreskin—left over from circumcisions—that were incubated with HPV11 and grafted onto mice. HPV11 is a particular kind of HPV that causes genital warts.

What they found: Of seven small growths that were treated, four went away entirely. The treatment was a little less successful on the four large growths; the virus went away in only one, but you could still see the spot.

What the study means to you: Maybe someday, this technique could be used to stop HPV infections.

Caveats: This isn't close to being clinically useful. Also, the most important HPVs in cervical cancer are HPV16 and HPV18—not 11—but research on this virus is likely to carry over.

Find out more: Cervical cancer research, from the National Cancer Institute: http://www.cancer.gov/

Read the article: Clawson, G.A., et al. "Inhibition of Papilloma Progression by Antisense Oligonucleotides Targeted to HPV11 E6/E7 RNA." Gene Therapy. September 2004, Vol. 11, No. 17, pp. 1331–1341.

Abstract online: http://www.nature.com