UM scientists take aim at human papillomavirus to stop cervical cancer

A multidisciplinary team led by UM researchers is working on ways to fight human papillomavirus (HPV) in older women to prevent cervical cancer.  

Studies show that the inflammation of the female genital tract in postmenopausal women places them at an increased risk of HPV persistence, which is a risk factor for developing cervical cancer, said project leader Dr. Keith Fowke, department head and professor of medical microbiology and infectious diseases, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences.  

“When there’s inflammation in the genital tract, that’s an environment that HPV thrives and persists in. So, if we can decrease that level of inflammation, then the body can clear HPV, which happens naturally,” Fowke said.

To decrease inflammation of the genital tract, the team will try using aspirin and hormone replacement therapy.  

The project, which recently received $2 million over five years from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, will test the treatments by enrolling perimenopausal and postmenopausal women from the Sex Worker Outreach Program (SWOP) in Nairobi, Kenya. Fowke is collaborating on the project with Dr. Joshua Kimani, SWOP’s physician in charge, and Joyce Adhiambo, a SWOP peer leader.  

Reducing inflammation with products on the market

Dr. Julie Lajoie, who holds the Francis A. Plummer Professorship in Global Infectious Diseases and is assistant professor of medical microbiology and infectious diseases, said that aspirin could be a good tool for reducing inflammation because of its anti-inflammatory properties and hormone replacement therapy (a topical estrogen cream) is a treatment that many women are already using to relieve symptoms of menopause.  

“We are trying to use treatments that already exist and are already approved that we know are safe. So, if it were to work, then launching a big clinical trial is a lot faster because it’s already on the market,” said Lajoie, who is co-lead on the study.

Lajoie said it’s important to find a treatment because cervical cancer is the fastest-rising cancer in Canadian women.

“Women’s immune response during menopause is not as good at fighting infection, and once infected with the HPV virus, the body seems unable to fight it as much,” Lajoie said.  

“The idea is if we can do something to remove the inflammation, then the immune system can come back and fight like it’s supposed to do.”

A win for women’s health research

Fowke said he hopes this study will lead to a reduction in cervical cancer rates.  

“There’s an HPV vaccine, which is great, and young women in Canada now get it. But it is not available or affordable everywhere in the world, including in Kenya. So, I think finding an intervention for women that can happen later in life if they don’t receive the HPV vaccine is really important,” Fowke said.  

Lajoie said that not only are they looking to prevent cervical cancer, but they are aiming to learn more about women’s health.

“It’s an understudied area of research, and we need more investment in it. All the information we will collect about menopause is going to change in how we see women’s health. So, I think that is already a success,” Lajoie said.  

Project collaborators also include Max Rady College of Medicine faculty Dr. Alon Altman, professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences;  Dr. Mark Nachtigal, professor of biochemistry and medical genetics; and, medical microbiology and infectious diseases faculty members, Dr. Lyle McKinnon and Dr. Aida Sivro.