Antibodies to HPV-16 E6 and E7 proteins as markers for HPV-16-associated invasive cervical cancer.

Transforming proteins E6 and E7 of human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are consistently expressed in HPV-associated cervical cancers. In ELISA with four HPV-16 E6-E7 peptides, patients with HPV-16-associated invasive cervical cancer (group 1) had a greater seroreactivity than all other groups, which included patients with HPV-16-associated cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, invasive cervical cancer patients without HPVs, and unaffected controls. A larger proportion of group 1 sera, as compared to sera of all other groups, was reactive with at least one peptide (49% vs 17-27%), and with two or more peptides (22% vs 0-6%). A clear difference between group 1 and all other groups was also found for high ELISA absorbance values to at least one peptide (22% vs 0-8%). This high seroreactivity of group 1 sera was confirmed by a radioimmunoprecipitation assay with in vitro transcribed and translated HPV-16 E7 protein. Sera from 50% of group 1 but only 3% of controls were reactive in this test. Antibodies to HPV-16 E6 and E7 proteins appear to be virus-specific and disease state-specific markers of HPV-associated cervical cancer.     

DNA vaccines encoding IL-2 linked to HPV-16 E7 antigen generate enhanced E7-specific CTL responses and antitumor activity

DNA vaccination has emerged as a promising strategy for cancer immunotherapy. However, since DNA vaccines have low immunogenicity, various strategies have been developed to enhance the potency of DNA vaccines. In the current study, we aim to determine whether the potency of the DNA vaccine encoding human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16) E7 antigen can be enhanced by IL-2. We have generated a DNA vaccine encoding IL-2 linked to HPV-16 E7 antigen. Our results indicate that the DNA vaccine encoding a fusion of IL-2 and E7 proteins generated the highest frequency of E7-specific CD8(+) T cells. We also found that the DNA vaccine encoding a fusion of IL-2 and E7 proteins generated the strongest protective as well as therapeutic anti-tumor effect against E7-expressing tumors. In addition, it was observed that CD8(+) T cells were mainly responsible for the antitumor effect generated by the DNA vaccine encoding a fusion of IL-2 and E7 proteins. Thus, we conclude that the linkage of IL-2 to HPV-16 E7 antigen significantly enhances the DNA vaccine potency against E7-expressing tumors. Our strategy may potentially be used in other antigenic systems to control infectious diseases and/or cancer.     

HPV16E7E6抗原表位嵌合体DNA抗肿瘤疫苗的研究

目的:探讨HPV16 E7、E6抗原表位与HSP70 N端重组DNA疫苗抗肿瘤活性.方法:以重叠PCR将HPV16 E7基因N端60个氨基酸的编码序列与E6基因的10个(48～57)氨基酸的编码序列及HSP70 N端序列进行融合.以pcDNA3.0为载体,构建真核表达载体pcD-E76HSP.重组质粒免疫C57BL/6小鼠后,通过淋巴细胞增殖实验和细胞毒性杀伤实验研究该疫苗激发的细胞免疫反应及反应强度;观察该疫苗对C57BL/6小鼠TC-1肿瘤细胞移植瘤的治疗效果.结果:重组DNA疫苗免疫C57BL/6小鼠后,小鼠脾淋巴细胞体外增殖明显,并可诱导产生针对TC-1肿瘤细胞的特异性CTL反应;体内抑瘤试验显示该疫苗对HPV16病毒转化的TC-1细胞小鼠移植瘤的生长有抑制作用.结论:该疫苗能激发特异性细胞免疫反应,显著抑制HPV16转化的TC-1肿瘤细胞生长.     

Immunization with an HPV-16 L1-based chimeric virus-like particle containing HPV-16 E6 and E7 epitopes elicits long-lasting prophylactic and therapeutic efficacy in an HPV-16 tumor mice model

HPV L1-based virus-like particles vaccines (VLPs) efficiently induce temporary prophylactic activity through the induction of neutralizing antibodies; however, VLPs that can provide prophylactic as well as therapeutic properties for longer periods of time are needed. For this purpose, we generated a novel HPV 16 L1-based chimeric virus-like particle (cVLP) produced in plants that contains a string of T-cell epitopes from HPV 16 E6 and E7 fused to its C-terminus. In the present study, we analyzed the persistence of specific IgG antibodies with neutralizing activity induced by immunization with these cVLPs, as well as their therapeutic potential in a tumor model of C57BL/6 mice. We observed that these cVLPs induced persistent IgG antibodies for over 12 months, with reactivity and neutralizing activity for VLPs composed of only the HPV-16 L1 protein. Efficient protection for long periods of time and inhibition of tumor growth induced by TC-1 tumor cells expressing HPV-16 E6/E7 oncoproteins, as well as significant tumor reduction (57 %), were observed in mice immunized with these cVLPs. Finally, we discuss the possibility that chimeric particles of the type described in this work may be the basis for developing HPV prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines with high efficacy.     

Conservation of HPV-16 E6/E7 ORF sequences in a cervical carcinoma.

A cervical carcinoma that contained human papillomavirus (HPV)-16 homologous DNA was analyzed. Each tumor cell genome contained a single, incomplete copy of HPV-16 DNA. The E6 and E7 open reading frames (ORFs) were completely conserved relative to other published HPV-16 sequences. Much of the non-coding region (NCR) was free of base changes, including complete conservation of several regulatory elements. Multiple mutations were identified in the remaining integrated HPV-16 DNA, which was composed of parts of the L1 and E1 ORFs. The extraordinary conservation of the E6/E7 DNA sequence, as compared with other regions of the integrated HPV-16 DNA, supports the role of E6/E7 in tumorigenesis.     

Tissue engineered cartilage using human articular chondrocytes immortalized by HPV-16 E6 and E7 genes

Chondrocytes are useful as a cell culture system for studying arthritic degeneration in tissue engineered cartilage. However, primary chondrocytes have short in vitro lifespan and rapid shift of collagen phenotype. In this study, we used a high dosage of retroviral vector LXSN16E6E7 to transduce human primary chondrocytes and obtained an actively proliferating cell line, designated hPi, which expresses HPV-16 E6/E7 mRNA in early passages. Parental primary chondrocytes cease to grow after five passages, whereas hPi could be propagated beyond 100 passages without requiring additional cell elements in defined medium. After 48 passages, hPi can also give many profiles similar to those of parental primary chondrocyte, including type II collagen in mRNA and protein level, aggrecan in mRNA level, lacunae in type I collagen matrices, and morphology with GAG-specific Alcian blue staining. hPi has shown neoplastic transformation, as examined by NOD-SCID mice tumorigenicity assays for 3 months. Our results indicated that human primary chondrocytes could be immortalized by transduction with HPV-16 E6/E7, preserving stable cartilage-specific differentiation markers. The established chondrocyte cell line could provide a novel model to engineer cartilage in vitro and in vivo for cartilage repair research and clinical application.     

The HPV-16 E7 oncogene sensitizes malignant cells to IFN-alpha-induced apoptosis.

Interferons (IFNs) exert antitumor effects in several human malignancies, but their mechanism of action is unclear. There is a great variability in sensitivity to IFN treatment depending on both tumor type and the individual patient. The reason for this variable sensitivity is not known. The fact that several IFN-induced anticellular effects are exerted through modulation of proto-oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes may indicate that the malignant genotype may be decisive in the cell's sensitivity to IFN. To determine if a deregulated oncogene could alter the cellular response to IFN, a mouse lymphoma cell line (J3D) was stably transfected with the viral human papillomavirus-16 (HPV-16) E7 oncogene. The E7-transfected cells and their respective mock-transfected sister clones were treated with IFN-alpha and examined for possible IFN-induced anticellular effects. We found that the E7-transfected clones were greatly sensitized to IFN-alpha-induced apoptosis compared with their mock-transfected counterparts. Induction of apoptosis in the transfected cells correlated with the ability of IFN to activate parts of the proapoptotic machinery specifically in these cells, including activation of caspases and the proapoptotic protein Bak. In summary, our data suggest that transfection of malignant cells with the E7 oncogene can sensitize them to IFN-alpha-induced apoptosis. This demonstrates that an oncogenic event may alter the cellular sensitivity to IFN and might also have implications for treatment of HPV-related diseases with IFN.     

Differences in transformation activity between HPV-18 and HPV-16 map to the viral LCR-E6-E7 region.

Homologous, subgenomic fragments of the viral LCR and E6/E7 transforming genes of HPV-18 and HPV-16 were amplified from several primary cervical, penile, and vulvar tumors and cloned into a pUC-18-derived vector. When assayed by a quantitative transformation assay using primary human keratinocytes, the subgenomic regions of HPV-16 and HPV-18 exhibited transforming activities similar to that of the full-length, prototype HPV genomes. More importantly, the HPV-18 LCR-E6-E7 region was approximately 10- to 50-fold more active than that of HPV-16. These studies demonstrate (1) that the transforming activity differences previously observed between prototype HPV-16 and HPV-18 map to the LCR-E6-E7 region, and (2) that individual and independent isolates of HPV-16 and HPV-18 exhibit consistent differences in transforming potential, even when isolated from different anatomic sites.     

人乳头瘤病毒16型E＿6E＿7基因反义质粒对人宫颈癌细胞恶性的逆转作用

构建可为地塞米松诱导表达的人乳头瘤病毒１６型（ＨＰＶ－１６）Ｅ＿６Ｅ＿７基因反义质粒（ｐ１６ａｓＥ＿６Ｅ＿７Ｎｅｏ），利用磷酸钙沉淀法将其分别转染到ＨＰＶ－１６阳性的人宫颈癌细胞株Ｃａｓｋｉ和ＨＰＶ阴性的人宫颈癌细胞株Ｃ－３３Ａ中。地塞米松诱导反义质粒表达后，ＣａｓＫｉ细胞失去其恶性表型，而Ｃ－３３Ａ细胞的生长特性及恶性行为未发生变化。说明反义质粒能够改变Ｃａｓｋｉ细胞的恶性表型，且这种改变是通过特异性抑制Ｅ＿６Ｅ＿７基因表达实现的。     

Fowlpox virus recombinants expressing HPV-16 E6 and E7 oncogenes for the therapy of cervical carcinoma elicit humoral and cell-mediated responses in rabbits

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.     

Human papillomavirus types 16 E6 and E7 contribute differently to carcinogenesis

High-risk human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are etiologically implicated in human cervical cancer. Two viral genes, E6 and E7, are commonly found expressed in these cancer cells. We have previously shown that mice transgenic for the HPV-16 E6 gene or E7 gene, in which the E6 or E7 was expressed in the basal layer of epithelia, developed skin tumors. The spectrum of tumors derived from E6 and E7 mice differed, however; although most tumors derived from the E7-transgenic mice were benign, the majority of the tumors from the E6-transgenic mice were malignant. These findings led us to hypothesize that E6 and E7 play different roles in carcinogenesis. To assess at what stages in carcinogenesis E6 and E7 act, we treated the skin of K14E6- and K14E7-transgenic mice with chemical carcinogens known to contribute to distinct stages in carcinogenesis. Both E6 and E7 were found to synergize with chemical carcinogens in causing tumor formation. E6 was found to act weakly at the promotion stage of carcinogenesis in the formation of benign tumors but strongly at the progression stage which involves the malignant conversion of benign tumors. In contrast, E7 primarily affected the promotion stage of carcinogenesis. These results provide direct evidence that E6 and E7 contribute differently to carcinogenesis; E7 promotes the formation of benign tumors, and E6 acts primarily to accelerate progression of these benign tumors to the malignant stage. Consistent with this model, we found E6 and E7 to cooperate in inducing tumor formation in mice expressing both oncogenes.     

The E5 Protein of HPV-6, but Not HPV-16, Associates Efficiently with Cellular Growth Factor Receptors

The transforming activity of the prototype E5 protein of bovine papillomavirus type 1 (BPV-1) is associated with its binding to, and activation of, both the platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptors. The E5 proteins of human papillomavirus types 6 and 16 (HPV-6, HPV-16) also transform rodent cells in the presence of the EGF receptor. In this study we examined whether epitope-tagged HPV E5 proteins could associate with three different tyrosine kinase-containing growth factor receptors: the EGF receptor, the erbB2 receptor, and the PDGF receptor. The HPV-6 E5 protein was found to associate efficiently with all three of these growth factor receptors, while the HPV-16 E5 protein did not. These findings suggest either that the in vitro transforming activities of HPV-6 and HPV-16 E5 proteins involve a similar mechanism unrelated to receptor binding (e.g., binding to the 16-kDa membrane pore protein) or that they proceed along distinct pathways, with receptor binding being important for HPV-6. Regardless of the ultimate mechanisms, the differences between the HPV-6 and HPV-16 E5 proteins in binding to growth factor receptors may potentially contribute to the distinctive morphologies of their respective neoplastic lesions.     

Immunization against human papillomavirus type 16 tumor cells with recombinant vaccinia viruses expressing E6 and E7.

Papillomaviruses are etiological agents of epithelial proliferative disease. In man, neoplastic transformation of the uterine cervix has been linked to infection with specific subtypes of human papillomavirus, particularly types 16 and 18. We previously reported that live vaccinia virus recombinants expressing early transforming proteins of other tumor viruses can immunize against challenge with cognate tumor cells and we have extended this approach to HPV16. Neoplastic transformation by papillomaviruses involves expression of early open reading frames (ORFs) E5, E6, and E7, and we report the construction of vaccinia recombinants separately expressing ORFs E5-E7 of HPV16. Primary rat cell lines cotransformed with HPV16 and an activated ras oncogene were established in order to evaluate the potential of the recombinants to elicit antitumor immunity. We report that inoculation of rats with vaccinia recombinants expressing E6 or E7 retarded or prevented tumor development in a proportion of animals challenged by subcutaneous seeding of tumor cells whereas the recombinant expressing E5 was inactive.     

HPV16E7E6重组腺病毒的构建及免疫效果评价

目的 构建用于宫颈癌治疗的HPV16E7E6重组腺病毒并评价其免疫效果.方法 根据哺乳细胞使用密码子的偏嗜性设计HPV16E7E6融合蛋白表达优势密码子基因序列并合成.将合成的E7E6基因插入腺病毒重组穿棱质粒pCD316后,与Ad5腺病毒骨架质粒共转染293细胞,重组病毒经单斑纯化并进行目的基因插入及表达的鉴定.扩增纯化重组病毒后免疫小鼠,评价其免疫活性.结果 PCR试验证明E7E6密码子优化基因成功插入Ad5病毒;Western blot检测结果表明重组腺病毒中E7E6优化基因能高效表达,该重组腺病毒免疫C57小鼠后,可诱发强特异性T细胞免疫应答,在小鼠体内能完全抑制5×104 TC-1移植瘤细胞的生长.结论 重组HPV16E7E6腺病毒可作为治疗HPV慢性感染或宫颈癌的候选疫苗.     

Identification of genital tract papillomaviruses HPV-6 and HPV-16 in warts of the oral cavity

Warty lesions of the oral cavity were examined for etiologic association with genital tract papillomaviruses HPV-6, HPV-11, and HPV-16. DNAs extracted from ten oral biopsies were screened for HPV genomic sequences by Southern transfer hybridization with 32P-labeled viral DNA probes. Nonstringent hybridization with an HPV-6 probe revealed papillomavirus DNA sequences in four of seven tissues with histologic evidence of papillomatosis, in none of two tissues without histologic evidence of papillomatosis, and in one tissue that was not examined by histology. Stringent hybridization tests with HPV-6 and HPV-16 probes identified the genome in one tissue as being HPV-16, in a second tissue as being HPV-6 subtype a, and in a third tissue as HPV-6 (subtype unidentified); papillomavirus DNA sequences in two tissues are as yet not identified. An additional case of HPV-6 or HPV-11 related oral cavity lesion was diagnosed by in situ hybridization of paraffin sections with a 35S-labeled, mixed HPV-6 + HPV-11 probe. The hybridization in the positive section was extensive and confined to epithelial nuclei. The oral lesions associated with genital tract papillomaviruses were asymptomatic, multiple or single, and were located in different parts of the oral cavity, for example, on the gingivae, on the tongue, on the lip, on the tonsillar pillar, and on the floor of the mouth.     

HPV 16 E6E7基因修饰树突状细胞疫苗诱导CTL致CaSki细胞凋亡体外实验研究

目的:采用人乳头状瘤-16(HPV-16)E6E7重组腺病毒(pAd-E6E7)转染树突状细胞(Dendritic cell,DC),观察基因修饰的DC疫苗诱导细胞毒性T淋巴细胞(Cytotoxic Tlymphocyte,CTL)致使CaSki细胞凋亡的效果。方法:将pAd-E6E7转染体外培养的小鼠未成熟树突状细胞制备DC疫苗,激光共聚焦显微镜观察转染的小鼠未成熟树突状细胞绿色荧光蛋白表达,流式细胞术检测转染前后小鼠树突状细胞表面标志物(CD40、CD86、MHCⅡ和CD11C)。DC疫苗诱导产生特异性细胞毒性T淋巴细胞,与CaSki细胞共培养后,采用DAPI、TUNEL及流式细胞术检测CaSki细胞凋亡情况。结果:pAd-E6E7成功转染体外培养的小鼠未成熟树突状细胞,体外转染效率约为40%～50%,成功制备了HPV16 E6E7基因修饰树突状细胞疫苗,诱导产生细胞毒性T淋巴细胞,经DAPI、TUNEL及流式细胞术检测证明CaSki出现凋亡。结论:以带有HPV16 E6E7基因的重组腺病毒载体转染DC制备基因修饰的DC疫苗,诱导CTL致使CaSki细胞出现凋亡。