Immortalization of oral keratinocytes by functional inactivation of the p53 and pRb pathways.

The article reports on a study examining the causative effect of high-risk human papillomavirus-type 16 (HPV16) E6 and E7 expression on the immortalization of normal oral keratinocytes (OKCs). In the study, the resulting phenotype with alternative ways of p53- and pRb-pathway abrogation frequently found in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) without HPV was also compared. The causative role of HPV16 E6/E7 in early squamous carcinogenesis is established in the study.