This invention is related to the Molecular Pharmacology field and
especially to the development of peptides useful for treating epithelial
tumors and mainly those associated to oncogenic types of HPVs. The main
objective of this invention is to identify peptides whose structure
permits to block the Casein Kinase II (CKII) phosphorylation domain by
direct interaction with such a site. In the present invention it is shown
eleven cyclic peptides with different aminoacid sequences which inhibit
the CKII phosphorylation in vitro, exhibit cytotoxicity on HPV-16
transformed cells (CaSki) and also increase the sensitivity of these
cells to the cytostatic effect of interferon (IFN). Furthermore, the
invention relates to the use of these peptides conjugated or fused to
other peptides and chemical compounds which penetrates into cells as well
as with the use of both peptide and chemical mimetic molecules.