Fowlpox virus recombinants expressing HPV-16 E6 and E7 oncogenes for the therapy of cervical carcinoma elicit humoral and cell-mediated responses in rabbits | Radaelli et al. Journal of Translational Medicine 2010 8 40 http content 8 1 40 RESEARCH JOURNAL OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE Open Access Fowlpox virus recombinants expressing HPV-16 E6 and E7 oncogenes for the therapy of cervical carcinoma elicit humoral and cell-mediated responses in rabbits Antonia Radaelli 2 3 Eleana Pozzi1 Sole Pacchioni1 Carlo Zanotto1 and Carlo De Giuli Morghen 1 3 Abstract Background Around half million new cases of cervical cancer arise each year making the development of an effective therapeutic vaccine against HPV a high priority. As the E6 and E7 oncoproteins are expressed in all HPV-16 tumour cells vaccines expressing these proteins might clear an already established tumour and support the treatment of HPV-related precancerous lesions. Methods Three different immunisation regimens were tested in a pre-clinical trial in rabbits to evaluate the humoral and cell-mediated responses of a putative HPV-16 vaccine. Fowlpoxvirus FP recombinants separately expressing the HPV-16 E6 FPE6 and E7 FPE7 transgenes were used for priming followed by E7 protein boosting. Results All of the protocols were effective in eliciting a high antibody response. This was also confirmed by interleukin-4 production which increased after simultaneous priming with both FPE6 and FPE7 and after E7 protein boost. A cell-mediated immune response was also detected in most of the animals. Conclusion These results establish a preliminary profile for the therapy with the combined use of avipox recombinants which may represent safer immunogens than vaccinia-based vectors in immuno-compromised individuals as they express the transgenes in most mammalian cells in the absence of a productive replication. Background Infection by human papilloma viruses HPVs represents the second most-common cause of malignancies in women worldwide and the oncogenic activity of the E6 and E7 early proteins expressed by the high-risk HPV-16 mucosal genotype accounts for .
