The human papillomavirus has been blamed for cervical cancer – but researchers say some types of the virus might prevent the disease.
Some 14 types of the virus have been linked to cancer – but there are at least 100 kinds.
Researchers at Manchester University, UK, say it is possible that other kinds of the virus might "compete" with cancer-causing kinds, helping to prevent cancer.
The findings come from a study of women in Kenya, comparing those who were HIV positive and HIV negative.
The researchers studied type 53 HPV, which was found in samples from women who were HIV positive but was rarely found in women who were free of HIV.
It was also found in no cases of cervical cancer.
Researcher Dr Ian Hampson said the existence of the virus might be helping to stop the spread of cervical cancer among HIV infected women in Africa.
He said: "We also need to work out exactly how one type of HPV might suppress the cancer causing properties of another.
"If it can be proved that HPV type 53 can inhibit the cancer-causing properties of other high-risk types of HPV, this could potentially form the basis of a simple biological therapy to prevent this disease.
"This could be extremely useful in low resource countries who cannot afford expensive HPV vaccines.”
HIV Infection Alters the Spectrum of HPV Subtypes Found in Cervical Smears and Carcinomas from Kenyan Women, The Open Virology Journal, doi: 10.2174/1874357901307010019 [abstract]
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