# Small DNA Tumor Viruses and Human Cancer

> **NIH NIH R50** · UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON · 2020 · $128,701

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Viruses are predicted to cause nearly one fifth of all human cancers. At the McArdle Laboratory for Cancer
Research at University of Wisconsin-Madison, the research program of Dr. Paul F. Lambert seeks to
understand how a particular group of viruses, called DNA tumor viruses, contribute to cancer. One of the most
well-recognized DNA tumor viruses associated with human cancer is human papillomavirus (HPV), which
causes cancers of the cervix, head and neck, anus, and skin. For over 25 years, Dr. Lambert’s laboratory has
focused on studying the viral and cellular mechanisms involved in HPV-associated cancer development using
animal models and specialized tissue culture techniques. The laboratory is now applying these technical
approaches to study a recently identified DNA tumor virus, Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV), and its role in
a rare form of human skin cancer.
As an Assistant Scientist in the Lambert research program, I am directing two main areas of research: 1)
evaluating the role of HPV, the female hormone estrogen, and the microenvironment in cervical cancer
development, and 2) studying the role of MCPyV in human cancer. These studies make use of my education
and technical training in the DNA tumor virus field in order to address novel and vital scientific research goals.
For example, understanding the way in which HPV interacts with and modifies the surrounding
microenvironment to promote cancer development will have broad implications on current paradigms in the
field. My efforts to establish in vivo models using primary human cervical cancer samples provide an
unprecedented opportunity to understand the role of estrogen in human cervical cancer, as well as a platform
to explore the utility of using anti-estrogen drugs as a cervical cancer treatment. Moreover, continuing studies
with a murine model of MCPyV T antigen expression that I helped to develop and characterize will help
address a longstanding query of how polyomaviruses are involved in human cancers. Aside from my scientific
responsibilities and contributions, my training and mentorship duties within the Lambert laboratory help
ensure its continued growth and success. In the following grant application, my scientific and leadership roles
within the Lambert research program, as well as how these efforts ultimately support the advancement of our
collective scientific objectives, will be described.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9994728
- **Project number:** 5R50CA211246-05
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON
- **Principal Investigator:** Megan E Spurgeon
- **Activity code:** R50 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $128,701
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2016-09-14 → 2021-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9994728

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9994728, Small DNA Tumor Viruses and Human Cancer (5R50CA211246-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9994728. Licensed CC0.

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