Tumour virus infections articles from across Nature Portfolio

The human papillomavirus (HPV) E6 oncoprotein hijacks the ligase activity of the host E6AP to ubiquitinate the tumor suppressor p53. Here, the authors show how the presence of the HPV E6 oncoprotein transforms the inactive E6AP monomer into an active dimer, providing a structural understanding of the physiological and pathophysiological mechanisms of E6AP function.

HPV’s E6 protein promotes cancer by degrading p53. This study reveals the cryoEM structure of HPV16 E6 in complex with E6AP and p53, highlighting their picomolar affinity and large protein-protein interaction interface.

Epstein-Barr virus causes lymphoma. Here the authors describe a direct complex of the viral oncoprotein LMP1 with the cellular TRAF6 protein as a critical virus-host interface for lymphoma survival and validate this complex as a potential therapeutic target.

Malignant pleural mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer with a poor prognosis and limited therapeutic options. Here the authors report the immunopeptidomic landscape of murine and human mesothelioma tumors and demonstrate the anti-tumor potential of oncolytic adenoviruses coated with so-defined tumor-specific peptides in a mouse model of mesothelioma.

Longitudinal sampling of patients with hepatitis C virus before and after elimination of the virus reveals links between functions of the gut microbiome and liver disease.

Cancer has found a formidable foil in COVID-19, and this has brought to the fore the early concerns that COVID-19 could have a deeper impact on oncology patients. Two studies now provide insights into the enigma surrounding the determinants of the worsening of COVID-19 symptoms in patients with cancer.