Triage of high-risk human papillomavirus-positive women by methylated POU4F3.

Background: Insufficient specificity of the high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) assay in primary cervical cancer screening results in unnecessary referral. Additional assays to triage hrHPV-positive women are needed to improve molecular cervical cancer screening. DNA methylation is a promising biomarker in cervical cancer.

Intranasal administration of peptide antigens of HIV with mucosal adjuvant CpG ODN coentrapped in microparticles enhances the mucosal and systemic immune responses.

The mucosal immune system acts as a first line of defense against infection caused by luminal pathogens. Because HIV is transmitted primarily via mucosal associated tissues, particularly with sexual transmission, understanding antiviral immunity present at these sites is important. As most of the peptide antigens show poor immunogenicity when immunized alone but after incorporating the same peptide antigens along with adjuvant CpG ODN in microparticles has shown enhanced immunogenicity in the murine model.