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Use of Interferon-γ Enzyme-linked Immunospot Assay to Characterize Novel T-cell Epitopes of Human Papillomavirus
Published on: March 8, 2012
Novel Functions of the Human Papillomavirus E6 Oncoproteins
Nicholas A Wallace1, Denise A Galloway1
1Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98109;
Abstract:
Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) infect the epidermis as well as mucous membranes of humans. They are the causative agents of anogenital tract and some oropharyngeal cancers. Infections begin in the basal epithelia, where the viral genome replicates slowly along with its host cell. As infected cells begin to differentiate and progress toward the periphery, the virus drives proliferation in cells that would otherwise be quiescent. To uncouple differentiation from continued cellular propagation, HPVs express two oncoproteins, HPV E6 and E7. This review focuses on high-risk α-HPV E6, which in addition to supporting viral replication has transforming properties. HPV E6 promotes p53 degradation and activates telomerase, but the multifaceted oncoprotein has numerous other functions that are highlighted here.
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