Human papillomavirus genome associated correlates of disease progression and treatment response for cervical neoplasms and cancer

The results of the project will improve the early diagnosis of human papillomavirus (HPV) related cancers using a personalised medicine approach; it will increase the number of healthy years, preserve reproductive potential, and improve the overall quality of life of the affected individuals and their productive input into society. Despite the availability of vaccinations, HPV, which causes cancer, remains a serious public health problem worldwide and in Latvia. Latvia still registers 32.5 cervical cancer cases per 100,000 population, which indicates insufficient preventive efforts and requires an in-depth update of determinants of HPV pathogenesis.

Possible solutions

1. Identify common cancer-causing HPV genotypes that will allow the application of HPV tests to identify high-risk patients.
2. Identify variants of HPV mutations that affect the course of the disease, which will provide prognostic tools for personalised monitoring of patients.
3. Identify HPV genomes integrated into patients' genome that may serve as an early marker of cancer predisposition.

The project will involve doctoral students from RSU and residents of the Pauls Stradiņš University Clinical Hospital.

News

36th European Congress of Pathology (ECP 2024)

Dr Jurijs Nazarovs (pictured), partner team of the Paul Stradiņš University Hospital, participated in the 36th European Congress of Pathology in Florence 7–11 September 2024 (see programme), with poster presentation (download the abstract).

Two more abstracts were presented by the members of the project group in E-poster sessions on gynaecological pathology and pulmonary pathology (see all abstracts presented).

Workshop on human papilloma virus infection and cervical cancer (2024)

A workshop on Human Papilloma Virus Infection and Cervical Cancer (LZP project 2021/1-0484) was held on 17 May 2024. The agenda included a research session with RSU researchers and an open session for patients, discussing the significance of HPV testing, screening approaches, and the role of vaccines.

Programme and presentations

Research session with invited RSU researchers
Overview of project progress during January 2022 – April 2024 Maria Isaguliants, Institute of Microbiology and Virology, RSU, Rīga Sociodemographic and general health correlates of infection with high-risk human papilloma viruses in a prospective study Viola Kiselova, Institute of Public Health / Institute of Microbiology and Virology, RSU, Rīga Consistency of the results of liquid cytology analysis of duplicate by independent evaluators in prospective study Arta Spridzāne, Rīga East Clinical University Hospital / RSU, Rīga Prevalence of high-risk HR HPVs in cervical dysplasia and cervical cancer, and viral correlates of disease severity in a retrospective study Lība Sokolovska, Institute of Microbiology and Virology, RSU, Rīga Morphological features and immunohistochemical markers of HPV-associated cervical cancer Karina Biserova & Jurijs Nazarovs, Pauls Stradiņš Clinical University Hospital / RSU, Rīga Variability of oncoprotein E6 and E7 sequences in cervical dysplasia and cervical cancer Juris Jansons, RSU / Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Rīga Full genomic sequencing of HPV16 in cervical carcinmoas, methods to analyse genomic instability Valery Ilinsky, Eligens, Human Genetics, Digital Health, Rīga
Open session for patients
Cervical screening approaches, the role of screening in timely diagnosis of cervical premalignancies and cancer Arta Spridzāne Detection of high cancer risk papilloma viruses, how it is done, why we need to do these tests? Beatrise Orlova, Centrālā Laboratorija, Rīga, Latvia Study findings in the prospective cohort, positivity for high risk human papilloma viruses, cervical health and disease, treatment and perspectives for the prospective cohort Androniks Mitiļdžans
HPV vaccination mission
Discussion (Q & A)

View the picture gallery

LZP workshop, "Human papilloma viruses (HPV), associated neoplastic diseases, and cancer" (2023)

Programme

Research part (in English)

• Opening by Prof. Gunta Lazdāne (Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Riga Stradins University)
• Maria Issagouliantis (RSU) - "Presentation of the aims, tasks and development of the project on human papillomavirus (HPV) genome associated correlates of disease progression and treatment response for cervical neoplasms and cancer" (LZP 2021/1-0484) (15 min)
• Arta Spridzāne (RSU, RAKUS) – "Progress of prospective and retroprospective screening of women for cervical pathologies and high risk HPV (HR HPV) infection with socio demographic correlates" (15 min)
• Lība Sokolovska (RSU) – "Cross-sectional study of the prevalence of HR HPVs in cervical cancer cases in Riga 2016-2023" (15 min)
• Juris Jansons (RSU, BMC) - "HPV16 oncoproteins E6 and E7 as immunogens for therapeutic HPV vaccines with experimental studies in mice" (15 min)

Reception and mingle with our patients

Popular science part (in Latvian)

• Opening by Dr. Androniks Mitildzāns (Gynecologist-oncologist, AVA-Clinic and operting surgeon, Latvian Oncology center)
• Lecture by Prof. Gunta Ladzāne "The problem of cervical cancer, its association with papilloma virus infection"

Short presentations by specialists:

• Karina Biserova (Pauls Stradiņš University Hospital, RSU) “Screening to detect neoplasia and cancer – how it is done, and how effective it is, and diagnostic methods to detect cervical lesions” 
• Dr Juris Jansons (RSU, BMC) “Prophylactic vaccines against papilloma virus infection - presentation of vaccines and vaccination programs, when it is given, what is the long-term effect, are there any side effects?” 
• Dr Androniks Mitildzans (Latvian Oncology Center) “Ways to treat cervical neoplasia and cancer”

Q&A

Download powerpoint presentations

Maria Issagouliantis' presentation	Prof. Gunta Lazdāne's presentation
Karina Biserova's presentation	Androniks Mitiļdžans
Juris Jansons' presentation

Images from the workshop

Annual Congress of the International Society for Vaccines (2023)

The HPV LZP project group participated in the annual congress of the International Society for Vaccines (ISV) in Lausanne, Switzerland on 22-24 October 2023. Lība Sokolovska joined on site, and Juris Jansons and Maria Issagouliantis virtually to present project results. 

The group presented three posters: 

• SHIFT IN THE HIGH-RISK HPV GENOTYPES IN CERVICAL PRECANCER AND CANCER IN LATVIA FROM 2016 TO 2022, IMPLICATIONS FOR VACCINATION, SCREENING, AND RESEARCH by Liba Sokolovska*, Alesja Dudorova, Austra Breiksa, Svetlana Gebrila, Jurijs Nazarovs, and Maria Isaguliants. * presenting author.
• MURINE ADENOCARCINOMA CELLS EXPRESSING HPV 16 ONCOPROTEINS E6 AND E7 MODELLING HPV 16 ASSOCIATED CANCER by Maria Isaguliants*, Juris Jansons, Daria Avdoshina, Alesja Dudorova, Elizaveta Sigova, Alexey Dmitriev, Dmitry Kostuyshev, Liba Sokolovska, Ekaterina Bayurova, Alexander Glukhov, Ilya Gordeychuk, Maria Lina Tornesello, and Franco M Buonaguro. * presenting author.
• IMMUNIZATION OF MICE WITH HPV16 E6 SUPPRESSES METASTATIC ACTIVITY OF SYNGENIC E6/E7 EXPRESSING ADENOCARCINOMA CELLS IN PROPHYLACTIC AND THERAPEUTIC SETTINGS  by Juris Jansons*, Alesja Dudorova, Daria Avdoshina, Elena Royo Rubio, Alina Nicolai, Anastasia Karlson, Alla S. Zhitkevich, Svetlana Gebrila, Jurijs Nazarovs, Ilya Gordeychuk, Dace Skrastina, Joel Palefsky, Maria Isaguliants. * presenting author.

Attached are photos from the conference center, sessions, poster sessions, and presentations of HPV LZP group posters.

Past events

15 May 2023: Virtual workshop, HPV Infection and HPV-Associated Carcinogenesis

7–9 December 2022: Online conference held by RSU together with international partners, Vaccines and Vaccination During and Post Covid Pandemics