Mucosal delivery of Clostridium spores encoding recombinant overlapping peptides of HPV antigen as therapeutic vaccines for cervical cancer

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"HPV is the most commonly sexually transmitted infection with over two-thirds of the population infected at some stage during life. Most infections are cleared without symptoms within a few months; however, infections with high risk types of HPV can lead to development of cancer in for example the cervix. Vaccination against these high-risk types is now available and these vaccines are being used in most high income countries and China to protect girls and women at risk of infection. While such interventions are recommended and have led to a decrease in cervical cancer incidence, the approach also has disadvantages. Stability of the vaccines is poor and the way in which the vaccines are given (by injection into muscle) does not give good protection at the sites where the virus normally enters the body. Critically, the high cost of these vaccines greatly limits their use in low income countries, where HPV infection is most prevalent.In this project, CHAIN Biotechnology Ltd, a microbiome company with expertise in developing _Clostridium_-based therapeutics, is collaborating with experienced immunological researchers from the University of Oxford to overcome limitations of currently available vaccines. The aim is to develop an oral vaccination approach to prevent HPV infection and also to treat people already affected by the virus. Delivery of vaccine directly to the mucosal surfaces of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) via ingestion of harmless bacteria, overcomes the low pH and enzyme-enriched environment in the stomach that would destroy other oral vaccines. If successful, the approach provides a substantial improvement over the current vaccination strategies. It is non-invasive and would allow mass vaccination without the risk of spreading blood-borne infection by needle injuries, and administration could be performed by non-medical personnel. If the approach is successful, the project will give rise to the possibility of extending this technology to develop vaccines against other viral and bacterial infections that present challenges to global health such as for example HIV, Ebola or cholera. There is also the possibility to develop therapeutic vaccines that target the destruction of cancer cells."