No presente trabalho, desenvolvemos uma estratégia vacinal baseada em vacinas de DNA que codificam proteínas do HPV-16, o tipo viral de maior relevância epidemiológica, fusionadas à glicoproteína D (gD) do vírus herpes simplex tipo 1 (HSV-1). A vacina que contêm o gene da E7 de HPV-16 fusionada à gD de HSV-1 (pgDE7), administrada em regime vacinal de quatro doses, foi capaz de gerar significativa ativação de células T CD8+ E7-específicas e apresentar 40% de efeito protetor anti-tumoral terapêutico em camundongos desafiados com células transformadas que expressam as proteínas E6 e E7 do HPV-16 (células TC-1). A partir das evidências geradas, desenvolvemos um novo vetor vacinal que codifica as proteínas E7, E6 e E5 do HPV-16 (pgD-E7E6E5). Em ensaios em modelo murino, apenas uma dose da vacina foi capaz de gerar ativação de células T CD8+ específicas e 70% dos camundongos previamente desafiados com células TC-1 e inoculados com 3 doses da vacina mantiveram-se livres de tumores. Como tentativa de potencializar o efeito protetor terapêutico encontrado, adotamos duas medidas: a co-administração de plasmídeos que codificam citocinas e a otimização de códons da sequência gênica que codifica a proteína quimérica. A combinação das vacinas pgDE7 ou pgD-E7E6E5 com plasmídeos que carregam os genes das citocinas IL-2, IL-12 ou GM-CSF foi capaz de aumentar a proteção terapêutica para 100% em regime vacinal de dose única. A adequação da sequência antigênica ao sistema de expressão humano, aumentou em cerca de 5 vezes o potencial terapêutico do vetor vacinal pgDE7. Em conjunto, os dados apresentados nesta tese demonstram a evolução do desenvolvimento de uma estratégia vacinal contra tumores induzidos por HPV-16 e encorajam seu potencial para uso em futuros ensaios clínicos. / The development of immunotherapeutic strategies against human papillomavirus (HPV) is a priority for the control of HPV-induced lesions and cervical cancer. In this study, we developed DNA vaccines encoding HPV-16 proteins fused to glycoprotein D (gD) of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) as an approach to control HPV-16 induced tumors. The vaccine encoding HPV-16 E7 fused to HSV-1 gD (pgDE7), when administered in a four doses vaccine regimen, was able to generate significant activation of E7-specific CD8+ T cells and showed 40% of therapeutic anti-tumor effect in mice previously challenged with tumor cells expressing HPV-16 E6 and E7 proteins (TC-1 cells). Following these evidences, we developed a new vaccine vector encoding HPV-16 E7, E6, E5 proteins fused to HSV-1 gD (pgD-E7E6E5). Only one vaccine dose generated antigen-specific CD8+ T cell responses and three doses conferred 70% protection to mice previously challenged with TC-1 cells. As an attempt to enhance the observed therapeutic anti-tumor effects, we tested two approaches: co-administration of cytokine-expressing plasmids and codon optimization of the gene encoding the chimeric protein. The combination of the vaccines pgDE7 or pgD-E7E6E5 with plasmids encoding the cytokines IL-2, IL-12 or GM-CSF increased the therapeutic protection to 100% of the vaccinated animals following a single dose. The gene sequence adaptation increased by a factor of 5 the therapeutic potential of the pgDE7 vaccine. In summary, the data presented in this thesis demonstrated the development of a vaccine strategy against HPV-16 induced tumors and reinforces its potential use in future clinical trials.

O Vírus Respiratório Sincicial Humano (HRSV) é um dos patógenos mais importantes do trato respiratório. Analisamos as interações das proteínas virais nucleoproteína (N), fosfoproteína (P) e matriz (M) em células HEK-293T. N interage com as proteínas celulares Hsp70, PRMT5 e WDR77; P com Hsp70 e Tropomiosina; e M com Nucleofosmina e Tropomiosina. Cada gene celular foi co-expresso em bactérias com um gene viral possibilitando a co-precipitação das proteínas. Analisamos a interação entre Hsp70 e N ou P, confirmando sua ocorrência em bactérias. Com um conjunto de proteínas mutantes, definimos que as interações são através dos amino terminais de N e P, ou do carboxi terminal de P, e do domínio amino terminal de Hsp70. Superexpressão de Hsp70 por transfecção provocou efeito de estímulo sobre a replicação de HRSV. Imunizações em camundongos com vacinas de DNA para N e P mostraram a indução de resposta celular e humoral. Ensaios de desafio resultaram em redução da carga viral após imunização com N, indicando potencial para sua aplicação em formulação vacinal. / Human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) is one of the most important pathogens of the respiratory tract. We analyzed the interactions of viral nucleoprotein (N), phosphoprotein (P) and matrix (M) in HEK-293T. N interacts with the cellular proteins Hsp70, PRMT5 and WDR77; P interacts with Hsp70 and Tropomyosin; and M with Nucleophosmin and Tropomyosin. Each cellular gene was co-expressed with a viral gene in bacteria allowing co-precipitation of proteins. Hsp70 co-expression with N or P proteins confirmed that these interactions also occur in bacteria. Using a set of mutants we found that the N and P amino terminus, P carboxy terminus, and Hsp70 amino terminal domain participate in the interactions. The overexpression of Hsp70 by transfection resulted in stimulation of HRSV replication. Mice immunization with N and P showed that DNA vaccines were capable of inducing humoral and cellular response. In challenge assays it was possible to detect significant virus titer reduction in animals immunized with N, indicating its potential for a vaccine formulation.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karol. inst., 2006. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri--Columbia, 1998. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves: 215-225). Also available on the Internet.

BACKGROUND: Human papilloma virus (HPV) in patients with esophageal carcinoma has previously been studied with an average detection rate of 15%, but the role of HPV in relation to survival is less clear. In cervical cancer, lung cancer and tonsil cancer HPV viral load is a predictive factor for survival and outcome of treatment. The primary aim was to study the spectrum of high-risk HPV types in esophageal tumors. Secondary, as a pilot study we investigated the association between HPV status and the survival rates. METHODS: We compared both the presence and the viral load of high-risk HPV types 16, 18, 31, 33, 39, 45, 52, 58, and 67 in relation to clinical data from patients with esophageal carcinoma. Survival data and tumor samples were retrieved from 100 patients receiving treatment at the Department of Oncology, Uppsala Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden. The tumor samples were investigated for HPV viral load using real-time PCR. RESULTS: HPV 16 was detected in 16% of the patients; no other HPV type was detected. HPV 16 infection had no significant effect on survival (p = 0.72). Also, HPV 16 did not improve survival after treatment (radiotherapy or chemotherapy). CONCLUSION: Only HPV 16 was detected among the patients. HPV 16 in esophageal carcinoma patients did not influence survival or improve therapy response. However, given the size of the study there is a need to examine a larger cohort in order to understand in more detail the effect of high risk HPV types in esophageal carcinoma. / <p>De två första författarna delar förstaförfattarskapet.</p>

Diss. (sammanfattning) Umeå : Umeå universitet, 2010. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karolinska institutet, 2005. / Härtill 5 uppsatser.