The E6 and E7 genes of HPV play a causative role in cancer progression; the former promotes degradation of p53 through its interaction with E6AP, an E3 ubiquitin ligase, while the latter binds to the retinoblastoma protein (prb) and disrupts its complex formation with E2F transcription factors so that p53 is suppressed and rb is promoted causing a higher rate of cell division61. This evidence concerns the gene TP53 and cancer.