Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences

Medical Aerosols for Global Health: New Needle-Free Methods of HPV Vaccine Delivery of Dry Powders and Aerosols

Stephen P. Cape (1), David H. McAdams (1,2), Elizabeth Gersch (4), David Chen (1,2), Nisha K. Shah (1,2), Robert L. Garcea (3,4) and Robert E. Sievers (1,2,3)

(1)Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, U. of Colorado (2)Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, U. of Colorado (3)Biofrontiers Inst., Jeannie and Jack Thompson Vaccine Center, U. of Colorado (4)Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, U. of Colorado

Human papilloma virus (HPV) infection is both the most prevalent sexually transmitted disease and the initiating factor for cervical cancer, the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women worldwide (more than 300,0000). The new HPV vaccines, Gardasil™ and Cervarix™, are composed of recombinant HPV viral capsid proteins assembled into virus-like particles (VLPs). Although highly efficacious, these vaccines are expensive ($360 initial series), require refrigeration (cold chain), and are now injected rather than inhaled, as we are proposing. Capsid protein subunits (capsomeres) are also excellent HPV immunogens. Our new inhaled HPV vaccine capsomers are very stable, and produce an antibody response in a rat model.