The Myb-related transcription factor MYPOP acts as a Selective Regulator of Cancer Cell Growth

The transcription factor MYPOP, recently discovered in restricting oncogenic human papillomaviruses (HPV) and suggested as a tumour suppressor, is the focus of our study. At supra-physiological levels, induced by both plasmid DNA- and messenger RNA-mediated gene transfer, MYPOP emerges as a potent tumour growth inhibitor, capable of inducing cancer cell death while sparing normal cells. Using HPV-transformed cervical cancer cells and normal human epidermal keratinocytes, cell behaviour assessments as well as transcriptome analysis revealed MYPOP's specific anti-proliferative and death-inducing impact on cancer cells.