High intensity focused ultrasound and newly engineered single domain antibodies for non-invasive treatment of human papillomavirus-related cervical cancer

宫颈癌是影响年轻女性的最常见癌症类型。本研究探讨了发展 一种创伤性较小的治疗方法而不是使用目前的标准护理， Zehbe博士的研究小组建议使用一种分子，专门针对 宫颈癌的病因本身。 人乳头瘤病毒（HPV）是一种常见的性传播病毒，目前已知几乎所有的性传播疾病都是由它引起的。 宫颈癌的治疗HPV产生的蛋白质可以使细胞恶性。其中之一，称为E6蛋白，是我们的 治疗目标这种“抗E6分子”方法不会引起与电流相关的不良副作用。 化疗/放射治疗，因为它会选择性地杀死癌细胞，使健康细胞完好无损。 已经广泛用于成像和治疗目的的超声波将用于帮助递送抗E6分子 直接进入肿瘤内部，确保这些分子进入细胞内部并平等地到达肿瘤的所有部位。 因此，我们的项目将解决三个目标：1）制备安全无毒的抗E6分子 递送，2）在实验室中在细胞中预测试这些，以及3）使用动物模型来分析抗E6的功效 活的宿主中的分子。 我们的团队结合了肿瘤生物学、生物化学、微生物学、免疫学、肿瘤学和 影像引导治疗科学家和临床医生将以跨学科的方式共同努力， 这些结果可以转化为患者护理，从而大大降低宫颈癌治疗的发病率。

Cervical cancer is the most common type of cancer which affects younger women. This study investigates the development of a less invasive treatment for the disease. Rather than using the present standard-of-care which consists of surgery followed by chemo- and/or radiation therapy, Dr. Zehbe's team proposes to use a molecule that specifically targets the causative agent of cervical cancer itself. Human papilloamvirus (HPV) is a common sexually transmitted virus which is now known to be responsible for almost all cases of cervical cancer. HPV produces proteins that can make cells malignant. One of them, called E6 protein, is our treatment target. This "anti-E6 molecule" approach will not cause the undesirable side effects associated with the current chemo-/radiation-therapy because it will selectively kill only cancerous cells, leaving healthy cells intact. Ultrasound, widely used already for imaging and therapeutic purposes, will be applied to help deliver the anti-E6 molecules directly inside the tumour, ensuring that these molecules get inside the cells and reach all parts of the tumour equally. Therefore, with our project we will address three objectives: 1) to prepare the anti-E6 molecules for safe and non-toxic delivery, 2) to pre-test these in the laboratory in cells and 3) to use an animal model to analyze the efficacy of anti-E6 molecules in a living host. Our team combines complementary knowledge in tumour biology, biochemistry, microbiology, immunology, oncology and imaging-guided therapy. Scientists and clinicians will work together in an interdisciplinary manner to successfully obtain results that can be translated to patient care, thus reducing the morbidity of cervical cancer treatment considerably.