NSP4 as adjuvant for immunogenicity and design of effective therapeutic HPV16 E6/E7/L1 DNA vaccine in tumor-bearing and healthy C57BL/6 mice

Prevalence of high and low risk HPV genotypes among vaccinated and non-vaccinated people in Tehran

BACKGROUND

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is a prevalent STI (Sexually Transmitted Infection) that is estimated almost all sexually active Patients at some stage of their life will be infected by the virus. Although most HPV infections resolve spontaneously, some can result in health complications, such as genital warts and several types of cancer. This study analyzed the variety of HPV genotypes in females and males among the infected population.

METHODS

Samples were obtained from the oral, vaginal, and genital sites of study participants and the samples underwent DNA extraction and subsequently amplified using Real-Time PCR. The recognition of high-risk (HR) and low-risk (LR) HPV genotypes was carried out using the HPV REALQUALITY RQ-Multi diagnostic kit and demographic information was analyzed alongside statistical virological data.

RESULTS

Out of 936 samples, 324 cases (34.6%) were found to be positive for HPV, while 612 cases (65.4%) were negative. Of our participants, 70 samples of males (27.5%) and 254 samples of females (37.3%) were HPV-positive. Common genotypes included 16, 6, 11, and 18, while genotypes 59, 56, 31, 45, and 52 were also detected.

CONCLUSION

According to the findings of this study, a significant prevalence of HPV infection was seen in males and females, and the incidence of high-risk genotypes was more diverse in males. While the vaccine was effective in preventing some types of HPV, such as 16, 18, 6, and 11, there seems to be an increase in infections caused by other genotypes, and precautions should be taken to prevent future health problems.

Bac to Bac System Efficiency for Preparing HPV Type 16 Virus-Like Particle Vaccine

Today, the human papillomavirus (HPV) L1 protein is the main target in the construction of prophylactic HPV vaccines. The production of virus-like particles (VLPs) that closely resemble the natural structure of the HPV16 virus and induce high levels of virus-neutralizing antibodies in animals and humans is facilitated by the expression of HPV16-L1 protein in eukaryotic cells. The Bac-to-Bac system has been previously used to produce high levels of recombinant proteins. In this study, we utilized this expression system to generate HPV16-L1 VLPs in Spodoptra frugipedra (Sf9) insect cells. The wild-type L1 gene of papillomavirus type 16 was selected from Gene Bank and placed in bacmid structure after codon optimization using pFast Bac vector. The recombinant baculovirus containing HPV-16/L1 gene was then provided using the Bac-to-Bac system. It should be mentioned that the vector was transfected into the Sf9 cell. The cells were then lysed and the expression of L1 protein was revealed by SDS-PAGE and confirmed by Western Blot. The L1 purification was performed through Ni-NTA chromatography. The VLP formation of papillomavirus L1 protein was visualized by transmission electron microscopy. The expressed recombinant L1 was ~60 KD on SDS-PAGE which was identified in western blot by a specific anti-L1 monoclonal antibody. The electron microscopy confirmed the assembly of VLPs. Results of this study showed that the production of this protein at the industrial level can be optimized using a baculovirus/Sf9 system. The characteristics and advantages of this system are promising and it is a suitable candidate for protein synthesis.