DNA hybridization of cervical tissues.

The increasing frequency of cervical neoplasia among younger women and the increased invasiveness of these tumors has led to a considerable growth in research into this disease. Conventional methods (epidemiology, cytology, and immunology), while being extremely useful, also have significant limitations. Recent advances in techniques for the manipulation of DNA now make it possible to analyze tissues for the presence of viral genomes. This review introduces these techniques and describes their application to the search for herpes simplex virus and human papillomavirus sequences in cervical tissue. The significance of the findings both for the mechanism of transmission of the disease, and also the consequences for early detection and hence more successful treatment, are also discussed.