The role of the Protein Kinase CKII in the life cycle of Human Papillomaviruses

Abstract

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women and virtually all cases can be traced back to a preceding infection with a high-risk HPV (human papillomavirus) type. Worldwide 10% of all women are infected, with the hotspots being South America and Africa. The best way to fight cervical cancer is to prohibit its formation. Currently, only vaccines are available to achieve this, but these are not the ultimate solution, as they are not able to clear an existing HPV infection. If we want to reduce the cancer risk of the millions of women infected with HPV today, we need a supplement, which is able to clear a persisting HPV infection reliably. In this thesis it is shown that the catalytic subunit of the protein kinase CK2 plays an important role in the initial amplification phase of HPV and an interference leads to lesser replication rates of viral genomes. Additionally, a CK2 inhibitor (CX-4945) is tested for its ability to inhibit CK2 and through this to hinder HPV replication. It is shown that this compound could be the basis for the long sought anti-HPV drug.