Single cell transcriptomic analysis of HPV16-infected epithelium identifies a keratinocyte subpopulation implicated in cancer.

Persistent HPV16 infection is a major cause of the global cancer burden. The viral life cycle is dependent on the differentiation program of stratified squamous epithelium, but the landscape of keratinocyte subpopulations which support distinct phases of the viral life cycle has yet to be elucidated. Here, single cell RNA sequencing of HPV16 infected compared to uninfected organoids identifies twelve distinct keratinocyte populations, with a subset mapped to reconstruct their respective 3D geography in stratified squamous epithelium. Instead of conventional terminally differentiated cells, an HPV-reprogrammed keratinocyte subpopulation (HIDDEN cells) forms the surface compartment and requires overexpression of the ELF3/ESE-1 transcription factor. HIDDEN cells are detected throughout stages of human carcinogenesis including primary human cervical intraepithelial neoplasias and HPV positive head and neck cancers, and a possible role in promoting viral carcinogenesis is supported by TCGA analyses. Single cell transcriptome information on HPV-infected versus uninfected epithelium will enable broader studies of the role of individual keratinocyte subpopulations in tumor virus infection and cancer evolution.

"Feeling frumpy": the relationships between body image and sexual response changes in midlife women.

This study investigated the relationships between self-rated attractiveness and self-reported sexual response changes (over the past decade) and current sexual satisfaction in 307 heterosexual, midlife women. Results indicated that regardless of the woman's specific age, she was more likely to consider herself more attractive when she was 10 years younger and her self-perceived attractiveness did not significantly differ based on her menopausal status. The more a woman perceived herself as less attractive than before, the more likely she was to report a decline in sexual desire or frequency of sexual activity. The more she perceived herself as attractive, the more likely she was to experience an increase in sexual desire, orgasm, enjoyment, or frequency of sexual activity. There were no significant statistical relationships between a woman's perception of her own attractiveness as she aged and her current sexual satisfaction.

Staging the menopausal transition: data from the TREMIN Research Program on Women's Health.

The present study was conducted to test the assumptions of a staging system of reproductive aging that was proposed at the Stages of Reproductive Aging Workshop (STRAW) in 2001. Using longitudinal data provided by 100 women over a period of 3-12 years, we asked whether midlife women move in a uniform progression from pre- to peri- to postmenopause, as refuted by earlier studies but proposed by the STRAW model, or whether they differ from this assumed pattern. Participants were recruited from the TREMIN Research Program on Women's Health, the oldest ongoing study of menstruation and women's health in the world. Eligibility criteria included reaching menopause during the course of the study and not using exogenous hormones. Participants provided annual self-reports of menopausal stage based on observations of their menstrual cycles ("regular," "changing," and "menopausal"). Findings revealed a lack of uniformity as women progressed toward menopause. From 8 to over 20 different perimenopausal stage patterns were observed, depending on the analysis. While the most common pattern was to progress from regular to changing to menopause, some women experienced menstrual bleeding after a year or more of amenorrhea, others flip-flopped between stages, and still others skipped directly from regular bleeding to menopause. We conclude that there is considerable variation in women's movement across menopausal status categories and urge researchers to accommodate such findings in their model building.