Reversal of papilloma growth in rabbits therapeutically vaccinated against E6 with naked DNA and/or vesicular stomatitis virus vectors.

Persistent infection with high-risk human papillomaviruses (HPVs) is the greatest risk factor for the development of HPV-associated cancers. In this study rabbits bearing persistent and potentially malignant papillomas were used to test the efficacy of vaccination with a recombinant DNA and/or vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) targeting the cottontail rabbit papillomavirus (CRPV) E6 protein. Immune responses were primed with either vector and boosted twice with the homologous or heterologous E6 vector. Over the course of 18 weeks, E6 vaccination reduced papilloma volumes to one third the volume in the controls, and the rabbits boosted with an heterologous vector tended to mount stronger responses. Small and medium-sized papillomas responded significantly but only slightly better than large papillomas. Finally the initial papilloma burden per rabbit, ranging from <100 mm(3) to >1000 mm(3), was not prognostic of antitumor efficacy. In summary both E6 vaccines elicited significant therapeutic immunity, and their sequential use tended to be advantageous.

Therapeutic vaccination of rabbits with a ubiquitin-fused papillomavirus E1, E2, E6 and E7 DNA vaccine.

Previously, we showed that intracutaneous vaccination of rabbits with DNA vectors encoding ubiquitin-fused versions of the cottontail rabbit papillomavirus (CRPV) early proteins E1, E2, E6 and E7 protected against subsequent challenge with CRPV. Here, we tested the immunotherapeutic activity of a vaccine composed of the four CRPV DNA vectors (designated UbE1267) in rabbits. The results show that the UbE1267 DNA vaccine, relative to empty vector DNA, virtually eliminated papilloma growth in rabbits with subclinical infection and greatly reduced papilloma volumes in rabbits bearing papillomas at the time of vaccination. These results in a physiologically relevant animal model of high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infection indicate that DNA vaccines targeting the early papillomavirus proteins may have a role in the treatment of HPV-associated lesions in humans.

Therapeutic efficacy of vesicular stomatitis virus-based E6 vaccination in rabbits.

Millions of people worldwide are currently infected with human papillomaviruses (HPVs). A therapeutic HPV vaccine would have widespread applicability because HPV-associated lesions are difficult to treat and may progress to carcinoma. We developed three attenuated VSV recombinants expressing the cottontail rabbit papillomavirus (CRPV) early protein E6 for use as vaccines. In cultured cells, two vectors expressed different levels of the E6 protein, and one expressed a ubiquitin-E6 fusion protein. All three were tested for therapeutic efficacy in the cottontail rabbit papillomavirus (CRPV)-rabbit model. Mock vaccination had no effect on papilloma growth. In contrast, inoculation with any of the VSV-E6 vaccines reduced the rate of papilloma growth to as little as 24% the rate in the controls. In five experiments, these effects were achieved after a single immunization. Furthermore, complete papilloma regression occurred in some rabbits observed for 4 months. A VSV-based papillomavirus E6 vaccine could have significant advantages over other therapeutic HPV vaccine candidates described to date.

Generation of dendritic cells from rabbit bone marrow mononuclear cell cultures supplemented with hGM-CSF and hIL-4.

The in vitro generation of dendritic cells (DCs) from either blood or bone marrow has been accomplished for humans and a number of other species. This ability has facilitated the opportunity to test the efficacy of DC vaccines in various tumor models. The cottontail rabbit papillomavirus (CRPV) model is the most clinically relevant animal model for human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated carcinogenesis. The CRPV model has been used to test various preventative and therapeutic vaccination strategies, and the availability of rabbit DCs would further expand its utility. However, to date, rabbit DCs have not been phenotypically and/or functionally characterized. Here we show that DCs can be generated in vitro from rabbit bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMCs) cultured in the presence of the human cytokines GM-CSF and IL-4 and matured with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). These cells show upregulation of MHC class II and CD86, as well as downregulation of CD14, do not have non-specific esterase activity, are able to perform receptor-mediated endocytosis, and are potent stimulators of allogeneic T cell proliferation in mixed lymphocyte reactions. The ability to generate rabbit DCs makes it possible to test the efficacy of DC vaccination in the prevention and treatment of CRPV-induced lesions, which may provide useful preclinical data regarding the use of DC vaccines for HPV-associated lesions, including cervical cancer.

Vaccination of rabbits with an adenovirus vector expressing the papillomavirus E2 protein leads to clearance of papillomas and infection.

Cervical cancer arises from lesions caused by infection with high-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV). Therefore, vaccination against HPV could prevent carcinogenesis by preventing HPV infection or inducing lesion regression. HPV E2 protein is an attractive candidate for vaccine development because it is required for papilloma formation, is involved in all stages of the virus life cycle, and is expressed in all premalignant lesions as well as some cancers. This study reports vaccination against E2 protein using a rabbit model of papillomavirus infection. A recombinant adenovirus (Ad) vector expressing the E2 protein of cottontail rabbit papillomavirus (CRPV) was tested for therapeutic efficacy in CRPV-infected rabbits. Primary immunization with the Ad-E2 vaccine, compared to immunization with a control Ad vector, reduced the number of papilloma-forming sites from 17 of 45 to 4 of 45. After booster immunization, vaccinated rabbits formed no new papillomas versus an additional 23 papillomas in rabbits that received the control vector. Papillomas in the Ad-E2 vaccinees were significantly smaller than those in the control rabbits, and all four papillomas in the Ad-E2 vaccinated rabbits regressed. No CRPV DNA was detected either in the regression sites or in sites that did not form papillomas, indicating that the vaccination led to clearance of CRPV from all infected sites.