[Construction of recombinant vaccinia virus co-expressing mutant E6 plus E7 proteins and detection of its immunogenicity and antitumor response].

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To generate a candidate HPV16 vaccine for experimental and therapeutical use for cervical cancer. METHODS: The mutants of HPV16 early E6 and E7 genes were inserted into a vaccinia virus expression vector. A strain of recombinant vaccinia virus was constructed through homologous recombination. RESULTS: Showed that the mutant E6 and E7 genes were located at TK gene region of vaccinia virus Tiantan strain in a head to head orientation under the control of early/late promoters, H6 and 7.5K respectively. Studies in mice indicated that VmE6E7 could elicit specific antibodies against E6 and E7, and retarded or prevented tumor development in a proportion of C57 BL/6 mice challenged by syngeneic HPV16E6 and E7 transformed tumor cells. CONCLUSIONS: The success in constructing VmE6E7 provides a basis for the further development of HPV16 therapeutic vaccine.