Objective
Worldwide, human papillomaviruses (HPV) are responsible for approximately half a million new cervical cancer cases every year and more than 200.000 deaths. More than a half of these cases is caused by HPV type 16. The vaccine research was hindered with the extremely low number of particles found in clinical samples and with the impossibility to cultivate the virus in vitro. During early 90s with the onset of molecular biology techniques the balance began to change. First generation preventive vaccines against HPVs are entering clinical trials recently. These vaccines are mostly based on recombinant HPV virus like particles (VLP) containing major capsid protein L1 expressed in yeast, insect or mammalian cell cultures. Early results from the clinical trial s show, that HPV infection and so the majority of cervical cancer cases can be prevented with VLP based vaccine.
However the cost of vaccine and its distribution can limit it's use, particularly in developing countries, where it is most needed. In this pro ject we want to take advantage of novel system for expression and accumulation of pharmaceutically valuable proteins in protein bodies in soybean seed to express HPV virus like particles. This will offer safe and inexpensive alternative to current expression systems. The goal is also to reach sufficient levels of papillomavirus VLP for oral vaccination to further lower the vaccination cost. The low water content, sub-cellular compartmentalization and natural trypsin inhibitor content should offer additional benefit of prolonged stability of the expressed protein. Another benefit of the project is extensive multidisciplinary training for the applicant. As a part of the project the Danforth Plant Science Centre will provide training in unique set of techniques: Glycine max transformation, tissue and compartment specific protein expression, microscopy techniques, structural biology and immunology.
Fields of science
- medical and health sciencesbasic medicineimmunologyimmunisation
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculesproteins
- medical and health sciencesbasic medicinepharmacology and pharmacypharmaceutical drugsvaccines
- medical and health sciencesclinical medicineoncologycervical cancer
- medical and health scienceshealth sciencesinfectious diseasesDNA viruses
Call for proposal
FP6-2002-MOBILITY-6
See other projects for this call
Funding Scheme
OIF - Marie Curie actions-Outgoing International FellowshipsCoordinator
PRAGUE
Czechia