Historically, research and diagnostic development for human papillomavirus (HPV) have been overwhelmingly female-centric, focusing primarily on cervical infections. However, HPV is intrinsically a gender-neutral pathogen. The rising global incidence of HPV-related oropharyngeal, anal, and penile cancers—particularly in males—along with the detrimental impact of HPV on semen quality and male fertility, underscores an urgent need for a paradigm shift.

Furthermore, the cellular tropism of HPV extends far beyond the cervical transformation zone. The virus exhibits distinct infection dynamics, immune evasion strategies, and latency patterns in varying extragenital mucosal environments (e.g., the oral cavity, anorectal mucosa, and male urogenital tract). Despite this, our understanding of host-pathogen interactions in these non-cervical sites remains limited, and validated, non-invasive diagnostic tools tailored for male and extragenital screening are critically lacking.

This Research Topic aims to bridge these critical knowledge gaps by exploring HPV from a gender-neutral and pan-mucosal perspective. We seek to highlight innovative cellular mechanisms of infection across diverse anatomical sites and to drive the development of next-generation diagnostic tools and biomarkers specifically designed to detect male, extragenital, and atypical HPV infections.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

- Male HPV Infections and Fertility: Cellular mechanisms of HPV binding to spermatozoa, viral latency in the male urogenital tract, and its implications for male infertility and transmission.

- Extragenital Cellular Tropism: Pathogenic mechanisms, viral entry, and immune microenvironments of HPV infections in the oropharyngeal, anorectal, and other non-cervical mucosal tissues.

- Innovative Diagnostics for Non-Cervical Sites: Development and molecular validation of non-invasive detection methods (e.g., self-collected penile/anal swabs, semen, urine, and saliva/oral rinses) using advanced molecular platforms (CRISPR, NGS, POCT).

- Gender-Neutral Biomarkers: Identifying novel host and viral biomarkers (e.g., cell-free DNA, RNA methylation, extracellular vesicles) capable of predicting viral persistence and clinical progression in both males and females.

- Microbiome-Viral Crosstalk in Men and Women: How local commensal microbiota (e.g., semen microbiome, oral cavity flora, penile microenvironment) interact with HPV to facilitate viral clearance or persistence.

Are you interested in contributing a manuscript to this Research Topic?

Cellular Tropism and Novel Diagnostics in Gender-Neutral and Extragenital Human Papillomavirus Infections