Effect of TA-CIN (HPV 16 L2E6E7) booster immunisation in vulval intraepithelial neoplasia patients previously vaccinated with TA-HPV (vaccinia virus encoding HPV 16/18 E6E7)

Heterologous prime-boost vaccination schedules employing TA-HPV, a vaccinia virus encoding HPV 16/18 E6 and E7, in combination with TA-CIN, an HPV 16 L2E6E7 fusion protein, may offer advantages over the use of either agent alone for the immunotherapy of human papillomavirus (HPV) type 16-associated vulval intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN). In the present study, 10 women with HPV 16-positive high grade VIN, previously primed with TA-HPV, received three booster immunisations with TA-CIN. All but one demonstrated HPV 16-specific proliferative T-cell and/or serological responses following vaccination. Three patients additionally showed lesion shrinkage or symptom relief, but no direct correlation between clinical and immunological responses was seen.