mRNA vaccines in cancer clinical trials: HPV16 tumor-derived antigens (e6 and e7 oncoproteins) associated with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), oropharyngeal and cervical cancers

SIMÕES, R.S.Q 1, 2, 3, *

1 Department of Health and Agricultural Sciences, Santa Úrsula University, Fernando Ferrari, 75 – Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
2 Department of Sciences Medicine, All Lab World Medical Clinic, Presidente Vargas, 529 - Centro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
3 Vector Medical Malacology lato sensu postgraduate, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Avenida Brazil 4.365 – Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
 
Review
Open Access Research Journal of Life Sciences, 2024, 07(01), 046–051.
Article DOI: 10.53022/oarjls.2024.7.1.0025
Publication history: 
Received on 27 January 2024; revised on 08 March 2024; accepted on 11 March 2024
 
Abstract: 
Human papillomavirus (HPV) induces the most common sexually transmitted disease and has been classified in the Alphapapillomavirus genus, Papillomaviridae family. They are non‒enveloped viruses presenting a closed circular double‒stranded non‒segmented DNA genome of approximately 8 kb that infect the anogenital epithelium causing cervical cancer, anal and penis cancer. There are viral groups based on their oncogenic activity as high‒risk types, low‒risk types and types of undetermined‒risk. mRNA vaccines are being evaluated in people with HPV-related cancers. This study described how mRNA cancer vaccines work and their applications recruiting several strategies for HPV cancer immunotherapy. Several biopharmaceuticals are developing mRNA vaccines encoding neoepitopes that can induce immune responses against target tumors. One trial is testing a personalized mRNA vaccine in combination with an immune checkpoint inhibitor in patients with advanced head and neck cancer. The production of therapeutic mRNA proteins for development of vaccine cancer have been manufactured by upstream and downstream methods. Several stages are processed in bioreactors using input and output parameters to measure the quality control of purified substance. Thus, novel technologies using different mRNA delivery system can be able to be integrated in clinical trials of HPV16 tumor-derived antigens associated cervical intraepithelial lesions of different stages until head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, oropharyngeal and cervical cancers.

 

Keywords: 
mRNA vaccine; HPV; cancer immunotherapy; oncoproteins
 
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