Research Group Molecular Therapy of Virus-Associated Cancers
Prof. Dr. Felix Hoppe-Seyler
By conservative estimations, at least 15-20% of human cancers are known to be linked to viral infections. With the progress of viral detection methods, it is likely that the percentage of virus-associated cancers will even further increase in the future. It is one of our major interests to elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which viruses induce cancer.
Tumor viruses, such as human papillomaviruses (HPVs), attack critical intracellular and intercellular regulatory pathways. The identification and characterization of these pathways is essential for our understanding of viral carcinogenesis and, in addition, should provide us with novel insights into generally relevant mechanisms of human carcinogenesis (Hoppe-Seyler & Hoppe-Seyler, Int. J. Cancer, 2011).
The elucidation of the mechanisms of carcinogenesis is also a pre-requisite for the development of novel therapeutic strategies. Consequently, a second major topic of our work is the development of specific inhibitors (siRNAs, inhibitory peptides, small molecules) blocking viral and cellular proteins which contribute to carcinogenesis (“targeted therapy”).
For details see: Research
Selected Publications
Honegger, A., Leitz, J., Bulkescher, J., Hoppe-Seyler, K. & Hoppe-Seyler, F. (2013) Silencing of human papillomavirus (HPV) E6/E7 oncogene expression affects both the contents and the amounts of extracellular microvesicles released from HPV-positive cancer cells. Int. J. Cancer, doi: 10.1002/ijc.28164
Hoppe-Seyler, K., Sauer, P., Lohrey, C. & Hoppe-Seyler, F. (2012) The inhibitors of nucleotide biosynthesis leflunomide, FK778, and mycophenolic acid activate hepatitis B virus replication in vitro. Hepatology 56: 9-16.
Hoppe-Seyler, F. & Hoppe-Seyler, K. (2011) Emerging topics in human tumor virology. Int. J. Cancer 129: 1289-1299
Fussbroich, B. Wagener, N., Macher-Goeppinger, Benner, A., Fälth, M., Sültmann, H., Holzer, A., Hoppe-Seyler, K. & Hoppe-Seyler, F. (2011) EZH2 depletion blocks the proliferation of colon cancer cells. PLoS ONE 6: e21651.
