Human Papilloma virus (HPV) is responsible for the development of type and tissue specific papilloma in the oral cavity and in the larynx. In the skin papilloma virus can cause different types of warts and in the ano-genital region it is associated with condyloma or carcinoma. HPV types 1,6 and 11 usually are associated with benign transformations of the tissues, while e.g. HPV types 16, 18 and 31 seem to be responsible for the development of some carcinoma like cervical carcinoma. The role of HPV in non-melanoic tumours of the skin is under discussion.

Protein E6 is a Transcriptional transactivator, binding double stranded DNA. It has transforming activity inactivating, with E6-AP ubiquitin-protein ligase, the human TP53/p53 tumor suppressor protein by targeting it for degradation.