Genomic coevolution of papillomavirus and immune system in placental mammals indicates the role of IFN-γ in the emergence of new variants.

Papillomaviruses (PVs) are causative agents for warts and cancers in different parts of the body in the mammalian lineage. Therefore, these viruses are proposed as model organisms to study host immune responses to pathogens causing chronic infections. The virus-associated cancer progression depends on two integral processes namely angiogenesis and immune response (AIR).