Small molecule degradation of the HPV E7 oncoprotein

Some viruses are very good at hiding from our body’s defences. One of these is Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), the virus responsible for nearly all cervical cancers and most throat cancers. HPV hides by keeping its “warning signals” locked inside cells, so the immune system doesn’t realise the body is infected.

This makes HPV dangerous. While it stays hidden, it can quietly damage cells and potentially turn them into cancer.

Our research team has discovered a way to “unmask” viruses that hide inside cells. In earlier work with the hepatitis C virus (HCV), we used a special chemical tag that attaches to the virus’s proteins. This tag makes the proteins break down into small pieces, which then appear on the cell’s surface, acting as a clear warning flag for the immune system. As a result, the immune system was alerted and responded strongly.

Now that we know this approach works, we want to apply it to HPV. Our aim is to develop a new treatment that helps the immune system recognise and clear HPV infections, to either stop them from leading to cancer or to help treat cancer once it has started.