Introduction
squamous cell cancers of the head/neck, squamous cell cancers of the cervix, carcinomas, Infection
CARCINOMAS, INFECTION
Infection with oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV), most commonly types HPV-16 and HPV-18, are responsible for the development of the majority of carcinomas arising from the cervix (>90%),Immune checkpoint blockade therapy anti-programmed death-(ligand)1 (anti-PD-(L)1) antibodies have demonstrated single-agent activity with response rates ranging between 11% and 24% of patients with heavily pretreated, metastatic squamous cell cancers of the cervix, anus, and vagina/vulva.MEDI0457 (previously INO-3112; INOVIO Pharmaceuticals) is a plasmid DNA vaccine comprised of 3 plasmids expressing HPV-16 and HPV-18 E6 and E7 proteins and an interleukin-12 (IL-12) plasmid encoding for the adjuvant immune stimulant. In patients with advanced HPV-positive squamous cell cancers of the head/neck and of the cervix, MEDI0457 was safe/well-tolerated and associated with an increased anti-HPV-16/HPV-18 B-cell and T-cell immunity against the E6 and E7 targets.