The sub-project aims to develop novel diagnostic procedures for tumour screening and prevention. Due to the infectious etiology of the malignant diseases covered by the INCA proposal, early diagnostics is crucial for cancer management and represents the most efficient tool to actually prevent the appearance of malignant disease, since in most cases very simple and efficient therapeutic tools (e.g. conization for early cervical lesions) are already available, provided the disease is recognized at an early stage. A second aim of this sub-project is to explore novel therapeutic strategies that are based on the specific targeting of viral and bacterial genes, in animal models. Specific objectives are: Improve cervical cancer prevention by a novel diagnostic test procedure for the detection of persistent HPV infections and define the HPV genotype-specific risk for cervical precancer/cancer Develop novel markers for an improved prevention of premalignant cervical disease Develop a novel diagnostic test procedure for the early diagnosis of Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease, post-transplant Kaposi-Sarcoma, and adult T-cell leukemia Evaluate the therapeutic potential of novel HDAC inhibitors against retrovirus-induced leukemia and lymphoma in a sheep animal model Evaluate the therapeutic potential of novel kinase inhibitors targeting Helicobacter pylori induced epithelial changes using the gerbil animal model SP5 will allow INCA to transform knowledge obtained by basic research into new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies that will be useful to prevent, detect and better manage several human cancers.