Fig. 4.
Intranasal immunization with the mixture of E744–62 (Q19D) and E643–57 (Q15L) peptides from HPV-16 using the mutant cholera toxin (CT-2*) adjuvant protects mice against challenge with the TC-1 tumor cells. Three experimental groups of C57BL/6 mice were included: naïve unimmunized mice were injected subcutaneously on the right flank with 1 × 105 TC-1 tumor cells per mouse (group 1, n=6); mice immunized intranasally with the mixture of Q19D and Q15L peptides (100 μg each) along with CT-2* adjuvant (1 μg) twice at 5 day intervals and one week after the last immunization injected subcutaneously on the right flank with either 1 × 106 EG7.Ova tumor cells per mouse (group 2, n=6) or 2 × 105 TC-1 tumor cells per mouse (group 3, n=10). The size of the tumors (length+width/2) on days 7 and 15 was measured in all three groups were measured and the average values plotted (panel A). Panel B shows the percentages of mice tumor-free over a period of 60 days follow-up in the three different groups: Data for group 1 is shown as light gray line, as dark gray line for group 2, and as black line for group 3. Statistical analysis between the 3 groups was done using the students t-test.