title: Induction of antitumor immunity in vivo following delivery of a novel HPV-16 DNA vaccine encoding an E6/E7 fusion antigen.
abstract: Human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16) infection is associated with a majority of cervical cancers and a significant proportion of head and neck cancers. Here, we describe a novel-engineered DNA vaccine that encodes a HPV-16 consensus E6/E7 fusion gene (pConE6E7) with the goal of increasing its antitumor cellular immunity. Compared to an early stage HPV-16 E7 DNA vaccine (pE7), this construct was up to five times more potent in driving E7-specific cellular immune responses. Prophylactic administration of this vaccine resulted in 100% protection against HPV E6 and E7-expressing tumors. Therapeutic studies indicated that vaccination with pConE6E7 prevented or delayed the growth of tumors. Moreover, immunization with pConE6E7 could also partially overcome immune tolerance in E6/E7 transgenic mice. Such DNA immunogens are interesting candidates for further study to investigate mechanisms of tumor immune rejection in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Dawn K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Reichenbach
authors.forename: Natasha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Corbitt
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Hokey
authors.forename: Mathura P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Ramanathan
authors.forename: Kibwei A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: McKinney
authors.forename: David B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Weiner
authors.forename: Duane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sewell
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D052162:Human papillomavirus 16 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D050725:Papillomavirus E7 Proteins; D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D004279:DNA, Viral; C068651:E6 protein, Human papillomavirus type 16; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral; D050725:Papillomavirus E7 Proteins; D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; C059731:oncogene protein E7, Human papillomavirus type 16