Cure for the World's Most Common STD

Many, many people around the world who have been diagnosed with human papillomavirus, or HPV. HPV is incurable, and it strikes nearly every sexually active human at some point in his or her lifetime. Right now, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 79 million Americans have the virus and doctors report roughly 14 million new cases every year in this country. Happily an HIV drug that’s been on the market since 2006 may hold the key to fighting the virus—and warding off its associated cancers. British scientists Ian and Lynne Hampson of the University of Manchester recently published results from a phase 1 clinical trial in the peer-reviewed journal Plus One—which suggest that a cure is looking more promising than ever. 23 Kenyan women were given Lopimune, a combination of the anti-viral HIV drugs lopinavir and ritonavir, for two weeks. According to Fusion, twelve weeks after the trial began, the researchers found that HPV infection levels had declined in 19 of the 23 women. Not only that, but in 12 of the 23 women, no virus could be detected at all.