Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is a well-known cause of cervical cancer. Therapeutic cancer vaccines are part of the current therapeutic options for HPV-associated cancers. Axalimogen filolisbac (ADXS11-001) is an immunotherapy based on live attenuated Listeria monocytogenes-listeriolysin O (Lm-LLO), designed by biological engineering to secrete an antigen-adjuvant fusion protein, composed of a truncated fragment of LLO fused to HPV. The proposed mechanism of action is that Lm-based vectors infect antigen-presenting cells (APC) and secrete HPV-LLO fusion proteins within the APC cytoplasm, these proteins are processed and presented to cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL), thus generating a new population of CTLs specific to HPV antigens. These HPV-specific CTLs destroy HPV infected cells. ADXS11-001 has demonstrated safety results in phase I-II studies in women with cervical cancer and is being assessed in clinical trials in patients with HPV-positive anal canal and head and neck cancers.
Keywords: ADXS11-001; Immunotherapy; cervical cancer; listeria monocytogenes vaccine.