Strategies for studying mouse and human immune responses to human papillomavirus type 16.

Journal article

Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) are an important protective mechanism in viral infection and can be effective against tumours. We have investigated the tumour-associated E6 and E7 genes of human papillomavirus type 16 as CTL targets. In H-2b mice we have defined epitopes in E6 and E7 which can readily generate CTL in vivo and we have shown that HLA-A2.1 transgenic mice can generate an HLA-A2.1-restricted response. We have been unable to reveal a primed CTL response in humans. These paradoxical findings imply that human papillomavirus may fail to stimulate a systemic CTL response and/or employ strategies for evading or down-regulating such a response.

Authors: Beverley, P; Sadovnikova, E; Zhu, X; Hickling, J; Gao, L

• Journal: Ciba Foundation symposium
• Volume: 187
• Pages: 78-86
• Publication date: 1994-01-01
• ISSN: 0300-5208
• Language: English
• Keywords: Animals; Papillomaviridae; Molecular Sequence Data; Mice; Genes, Viral; Vaccinia virus; Mice, Transgenic; Vaccines, Synthetic; Humans; HLA-A2 Antigen; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic; Amino Acid Sequence; Epitopes; Viral Vaccines