Scientists have discovered crucial role of protein that could stop HPV virus infection
New drugs are in the early stages of development by pharmaceutical companies could have an extra benefit – the ability to cancel out HPV virus, which can cause cervical cancer and skin conditions.
Scientists have now discovered the role of one of the crucial proteins responsible for allowing HPV to infect cells. It is called STAT3 and is essential for HPV to replicate.
The team, led by Dr Andrew Macdonald at the University's Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, said without STAT3 the virus could not work because the full set of properties it needed would not be available.
Read the full press release on the Faculty of Biological Sciences website