HIV drug could be used to prevent cervical cancer

In the UK many thousands of women undergo surgery to remove precancerous lesions of every year. Instead they may be able to apply a simple cream or pessary to the affected area. The discovery may be even more significant in developing countries which lack surgical facilities and where HPV related cervical cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in women.

Drs Ian and Lynne Hampson at the School of Medicine’s Division of Human Development and Reproduction are developing the treatment from a type of drug that is given orally to treat HIV. This protease inhibitor can selectively kill cultured HPV infected cervical cancer cells and, since it is already available as a liquid formulation, it is possible it may work by direct application to the cervix.

The research, funded by the Humane Research Trust, is to be published in the September issue of the journal Anti-Viral Therapy (2006; 11(6): in press) and is also being presented at the International HPV meeting in Prague on 5 September.

Group leader Dr Ian Hampson, who is based at St Mary’s Hospital, Manchester, said: “It is very exciting to find such a significant new use for this HIV drug which is already licensed and FDA-approved for oral administration. We are currently exploring the means of delivering this drug directly to the affected tissue. We would then move to a clinical trial that would be supervised by our head of unit Professor Henry C. Kitchener. If this proves successful we could see the treatment available fairly rapidly.”

He added: “Anti HPV vaccines are currently in the process of being licensed but, not all lesions will be prevented and not all women will be vaccinated. A non surgical therapy will have significant advantages – better preservation of obstetric function, the potential for use in resource poor settings such as underdeveloped countries and it may appeal more to women than surgery.

“We are very grateful for the strong support we have had from the Humane Research Trust, the charity who funded the development of this work.”

Professor Kitchener said: “The significance of this finding is that a simple medical treatment could be used in place of surgery which many women dislike and fully preserve the cervix. First we need to demonstrate that it can be effective.”