Immunotherapy against human papillomavirus (HPV) induced tumors

Abstract

Cervical cancer, the second cause of cancer death among women, is associated with human papillomavirus infections in more than 99% of the cases. For the last 9 years, we have been developing a new vaccine strategy against HPV induced tumors based on DNA vaccines capable of expressing HPV-16 E7 protein genetically fused to herpes simplex virus (HSV) glycoprotein D (gD) coadministered to a plasmid encoding interleukin-2 (IL-2). In animal model, the vaccine has shown antitumural effects with no parallel in the literature. The present project aims to prepare the vaccine for clinical testing, continue the studies regarding the mechanisms involved in the immune protection elicited in mice and to construo a bivalent vaccine formulation. The activities planned for the clinical trial (to be held at the Hospital das Clínicas (HC), USP in collaboration with Dr. Esper Kallás) involve the production of the vaccine under Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), pre-clinical studies and the drafting of the Clinical Research Protocol. Studies in animal models will be conducted to better understand the mechanisms related to the antitumor protection aiming to elucidate the cellular populations responsible for the observed phenomenon. Finally, the project foresees the development of a therapeutic bivalent vaccine against the two main viraltypes involved in the induction of cancer in humans by incorporating genes that encode HPV-16 and HPV-18 E6 and E7 oncoproteins. At the end of the project, we hope to prove the efficacy and safety of the anticancer immunotherapy proposal and generate a vaccine suitable for human use. (AU)