Design Of A Cell-penetrating Peptide Vaccine Based On HPV16E7 HLA-A₂-restricted CTL Epitope And Investigation Of Its Immunological Effect In Vitro

Recently, the incidence of STDs (sexually transmitted diseases) is increasing with years. Genital transmission and infection have shown a rising trend. Insufficient activation of immune response against human papillomavirus (HPV), especially the cellular immune, will cause inability to clear the pathogen, leading to the chronicity of the HPV infection. High-risk HPV types, including type 16, are the most common causative pathogens of condyloma accuminatum, vaginal cancer and cervix cancer. HPV-DNA has been detected in almost 100% of the cervix lesions such as dysplasia, precancerosis and cancers. In recent years, HPV infection has become one of the most important healthy problems worldwide. Clearing the HPV infection, especially the high-risk HPV types infections, could not only eliminate the sexually transmission of HPV infection, but also reduce the incidence of associated cervical tumors of women. Clinic treatments widely used presently are limited to excision of the condyloma and specific/non-specific immunotherapy which may have a short-term effect but can not clear the pathogen and avoid the recurrence of HPV infection.With the development of research on HPV viral antigen, therapeutic vaccine has become a hot pot of the research on therapy of HPV and its associated tumors. Previous investigation reveals that specific cellular immunity mediated by CTLs plays a very important role on immune responses against viral infection and tumor. Through the T cells receptors (TCRs), CTLs can recognize the MHC class I-associated peptides complex on surface of the antigen presenting cells (APCs) such as malignant cells. As a result, CTLs are activated to kill the target cells by various mechanisms. The short peptide which can be binded with MHC class I molecules is termed"CTL epitope". The identification of abundant CTL epitope provides more opportunities for the development of synthetic...