A Phase I Clinical Trial of an HPV Therapeutic Vaccine

This study will consist of 300 women aged 18-50 years. The study will show that a new therapeutic human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine designed to regress a precancerous condition called high-grade squamous intraepithelial neoplasia (HSIL)is safe. HPV is known to cause cervical, vaginal, oral, and anal cancers. This novel vaccine will consist of a synthetically made fragment of HPV protein called E6 and yeast extract called Candin®. Previous studies have revealed that immune response to E6 is important in fighting HPV. We also know that injecting Candin has anti-HPV effect since it has been used to treat common warts which are caused by different types of HPV. The current standard treatment for HSIL is loop electrical excision procedure (LEEP). The immune system is the part of the body that fights infection and cancer. This research study will also examine the immune response to the vaccine and its effectiveness in regressing HSIL. Volunteers would be eligible to enroll in the study if they have had a recent Papanicolaou (Pap) smear result indicating HSIL or "Cannot rule out HSIL", and if they meet the inclusion/exclusion criteria. Subjects will be eligible to receive vaccinations if biopsy confirms HSIL. A series of four vaccinations will be given roughly 3 weeks apart, and LEEP will be performed at the end of the study approximately 12 weeks after the last vaccination.