Viral and immune dynamics of HPV genital infections in young women

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infections drive one in twenty new cancer cases. Despite the potential for improving treatment, screening, and vaccination strategies, little is known as to why most HPV infections clear spontaneously within two years. To untangle the dynamics of these non-persisting infections, we performed a combined quantitative analysis of virological, immunological, and clinical data from an original longitudinal cohort of 189 women with high temporal resolution. We find that HPV viral load reaches a plateau within two months, and clears within a median time of 14 months. Furthermore, we identify immune correlates associated with infection clearance, especially TCR-gamma-delta cells. Our results open new perspectives for understanding the frontier between acute and chronic infections and for controlling HPVassociated diseases.