News | Japan develops first intranasal therapeutic cervical cancer vaccine, opening a potential path to noninvasive treatment
A Chiba University research team in Japan has developed a therapeutic human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine administered through the nose, offering a new noninvasive treatment option for cervical cancer. The study was published in Science Translational Medicine on November 12, 2025.
Cervical cancer is one of the most common malignancies in women worldwide and is mainly caused by sexually transmitted HPV infection. Preventive HPV vaccines and regular screening can reduce risk, but no therapeutic medicine currently treats established infection or HPV-related cancer. Treatment still relies on surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy, which may affect physical and reproductive function.
A team led by Associate Professor Rika Nakahashi-Ouchida and Hiromi Mori at Chiba University Hospital developed a nasal vaccine that induces an immune response in the nasal mucosa and activates immune defenses in the distant reproductive tract. By using immune pathways in the upper airway mucosa, it establishes a "sentinel defense" in areas including the cervix for lasting protection at the site of infection.
The team used positively charged nanohydrogel particles (cCHP nanogel) to deliver the E7 oncoprotein antigen produced by HPV16 to nasal tissue. E7 is a key cervical-cancer driver that inhibits the tumor-suppressor protein pRb and promotes malignancy. The immune enhancer cyclic diadenylate monophosphate (c-di-AMP) was added to activate T-cell-mediated antitumor immunity.
"Our therapeutic nasal vaccine is intended to offer women an option that avoids surgery and preserves quality of life," Associate Professor Nakahashi-Ouchida said. "By activating mucosal homing pathways in lymphocytes, nasal vaccination can trigger an effective immune response in the cervical mucosa."
Animal studies showed significant antitumor activity from the "cCHP-E7 + c-di-AMP" nasal vaccine in mice and macaques. Tumor growth was substantially slower in vaccinated mice than in controls. In macaques given four doses through a nasal device suitable for humans, the vaccine generated large numbers of E7-specific helper and cytotoxic T cells that secreted molecules associated with tumor control. Immune activity was also detected in cervical tissue, showing that protection reached the target site. E7-specific cytotoxic T cells remained active four months after the final dose, indicating durable immune memory.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 660,000 new cervical cancer cases and 350,000 deaths occurred worldwide in 2022. If future human trials confirm safety and efficacy, the nasal vaccine could become a noninvasive, fertility-preserving treatment option. The cCHP nanogel delivery platform may also support other nasal vaccines or immunotherapies for chronic disease.
"Nasal immunotherapy could establish a new class of noninvasive treatments," Associate Professor Nakahashi-Ouchida said. "In future, this approach may not only treat disease and prevent recurrence, but also provide safer and more convenient immune strategies for chronic disease management."
News | Japan develops first intranasal therapeutic cervical cancer vaccine, opening a potential path to noninvasive treatment
News | Japan develops first intranasal therapeutic cervical cancer vaccine, opening a potential path to noninvasive treatment
A Chiba University research team in Japan has developed a therapeutic human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine administered through the nose, offering a new noninvasive treatment option for cervical cancer. The study was published in Science Translational Medicine on November 12, 2025.
Cervical cancer is one of the most common malignancies in women worldwide and is mainly caused by sexually transmitted HPV infection. Preventive HPV vaccines and regular screening can reduce risk, but no therapeutic medicine currently treats established infection or HPV-related cancer. Treatment still relies on surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy, which may affect physical and reproductive function.
A team led by Associate Professor Rika Nakahashi-Ouchida and Hiromi Mori at Chiba University Hospital developed a nasal vaccine that induces an immune response in the nasal mucosa and activates immune defenses in the distant reproductive tract. By using immune pathways in the upper airway mucosa, it establishes a "sentinel defense" in areas including the cervix for lasting protection at the site of infection.
The team used positively charged nanohydrogel particles (cCHP nanogel) to deliver the E7 oncoprotein antigen produced by HPV16 to nasal tissue. E7 is a key cervical-cancer driver that inhibits the tumor-suppressor protein pRb and promotes malignancy. The immune enhancer cyclic diadenylate monophosphate (c-di-AMP) was added to activate T-cell-mediated antitumor immunity.
"Our therapeutic nasal vaccine is intended to offer women an option that avoids surgery and preserves quality of life," Associate Professor Nakahashi-Ouchida said. "By activating mucosal homing pathways in lymphocytes, nasal vaccination can trigger an effective immune response in the cervical mucosa."
Animal studies showed significant antitumor activity from the "cCHP-E7 + c-di-AMP" nasal vaccine in mice and macaques. Tumor growth was substantially slower in vaccinated mice than in controls. In macaques given four doses through a nasal device suitable for humans, the vaccine generated large numbers of E7-specific helper and cytotoxic T cells that secreted molecules associated with tumor control. Immune activity was also detected in cervical tissue, showing that protection reached the target site. E7-specific cytotoxic T cells remained active four months after the final dose, indicating durable immune memory.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 660,000 new cervical cancer cases and 350,000 deaths occurred worldwide in 2022. If future human trials confirm safety and efficacy, the nasal vaccine could become a noninvasive, fertility-preserving treatment option. The cCHP nanogel delivery platform may also support other nasal vaccines or immunotherapies for chronic disease.
"Nasal immunotherapy could establish a new class of noninvasive treatments," Associate Professor Nakahashi-Ouchida said. "In future, this approach may not only treat disease and prevent recurrence, but also provide safer and more convenient immune strategies for chronic disease management."
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