Infection with human papillomaviruses (HPV) is associated with the development of several cancers, including cervical and anal cancer as well as a subset of head-and-neck cancers. Although vaccines and screening programs are available to prevent and detect pre-cancerous and cancerous lesions caused by HPV, no antiviral treatment is currently available for already infected patients. The proposed study aims to identify new avenues for treating HPV-associated cancers, by interfering with the E6 protein of the virus. E6 abrogates the function of p53, a cellular protein that prevents uncontrolled cell division, and hence, cancer. Our initial studies have suggested that this carcinogenic effect of E6 requires the cellular protein Aurora A. We propose to clarify the role of Aurora A for the function of E6 and to evaluate the effect of inhibitors/drugs that target Aurora A on the growth of HPV-containing cancer cells. It is our hope that these studies will help validate the use of upcoming drugs that target Aurora A for the treatment of HPV-associated cancers.