Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42643979›Full record

ArticleObstetrics and gynecology research2026

A Cell-Penetrating Peptide and Signal Sequence Fusion DNA Vaccine Enhances CD8+ T Cell-Mediated Anti-Tumor Immunity Targeting HPV-16 Cervical Cancer Antigens.

Yu-Cheng Chang, Ky McSweeney, Yichu Xu, Yining Liu, Ya-Chea Tsai, T-C Wu, Chien-Fu Hung

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Obstetrics and gynecology research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

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PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Yu-Cheng ChangDepartment of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 1550 Orleans Street, CRB II 307, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA.
Ky McSweeneyDepartment of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 1550 Orleans Street, CRB II 307, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA.
Yichu XuDepartment of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 1550 Orleans Street, CRB II 307, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA.
Yining LiuDepartment of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 1550 Orleans Street, CRB II 307, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA.
Ya-Chea TsaiDepartment of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 1550 Orleans Street, CRB II 307, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA.
T-C WuDepartment of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 1550 Orleans Street, CRB II 307, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA.
Chien-Fu HungDepartment of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 1550 Orleans Street, CRB II 307, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA.

Funding

Treatment of HIV- and HIV+ Patients with HPV16+ CIN2/3 Using pNGLV4a-hCRTE6E7L2 DNA vaccine administered intramuscularly via electroporationP50CA098252 · NCI · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · PI TZYY-CHOOU WU · 2003 to 2026
$53.5M
Strategies to Reduce Global Health Disparities in Cervical CancerR01CA295696 · NCI · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · PI TZYY-CHOOU WU · 2025 to 2026
$1.3M
Salmonella derived nanoparticles for cancer immunotherapyR21DE034547 · NIDCR · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · PI Chien-Fu Hung · 2025 to 2026
$450k
NCI NIH HHS P50 CA098252NCI NIH HHS R01 CA295696NIDCR NIH HHS R21 DE034547
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer affecting women, with almost all cases caused by infection with Human Papillomavirus (HPV). Previous research has explored the potential of cell-penetrating peptides to improve the efficacy of peptide vaccines and signal peptide sequences to increase protein secretion in DNA vaccines. In this study, we evaluated the in vivo efficacy of DNA vaccines targeting HPV-16 E6 and E7 viral antigens that are constructed with both a cell-penetrating peptide and IL-2 signal peptide to improve immunogenicity. Results: We generated DNA vaccine constructs utilizing combinations of E7(49-57), E6(48-57), IL-2 signal sequence (sig), 9-polyarginine (9R), and 12-polyarginine (12R) cloned into pcDNA3 vectors. Transfection of the pcDNA3-sig9RE7, pcDNA3-sig12RE7, or pcDNA3-9RE7 vaccine constructs induced a significant E7-specific CD8+ T cell response in vitro. We observed that the pcDNA3-sig9RE7 vaccine induced the strongest E7-specific immune response in vivo compared to the pcDNA3-9RE7 and pcDNA3-sig12RE7 constructs. We demonstrated the potential protective and therapeutic anti-tumor effects of the pcDNA3-sig9RE7 vaccination against the HPV-16 E7 expressing TC-1 tumor model in mice. Finally, we found similar anti-tumor effects for the pcDNA3-sig9RE6 vaccine which suggest this DNA vaccine strategy could be applied to various cervical cancer antigens. Conclusion: Treatment with the pcDNA3-sig9RE7 DNA vaccine induces a potent E7-specific anti-tumor immune response in mice. By demonstrating the potential of utilizing a cell-penetrating peptide and signal peptide sequence in combination to improve efficacy, this study provides a foundation for future research into fusion DNA vaccines with cell-penetrating peptides and signal peptide combinations.

Indexed as

cell-penetrating peptideDNA vaccineE6 antigenE7 antigenHuman Papillomavirus 16immunotherapysignal sequence

Identifiers

PMID42643979
PMCPMC13506126

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.