Clinical, Translational and Biomarker-Based Female Genital HPV Induced Dysplasia and Cancer Screening Study Using Cf-HPV-DNA Blood Tests

Uterine cervical dysplasia and other female genital dysplasia continue to be significant health problems despite Cervical Screening Programs and HPV vaccinations being available. These female genital dysplasia \[FGD\] induced by HPV infections affect disadvantaged women in the US and globally more than others: minorities like African Americans \[AA\], rural populations, lower socioeconomic strata of the society and less educated in the US and lower / middle income countries. The reasons are: lack of access to screening and vaccines, lack of infrastructure, fear and shame of getting a pelvic examination and pap's smear and inability to go to the health centers that provide these cares. A simple blood test that can diagnose FGD can help make many of those hurdles go away. This proposal is to utilize the emergence of 'liquid biopsy' concepts using genomic/precision medicine advances of the past decade to have such a blood test to be made available. Collaborating with Naveris, Inc,® the clinical study will use their NavDx® blood test. This is a test for circulating cell-free tumor tissue modified viral (TTMV®)-HPV DNA. TTMV-HPV DNA is a clinically proven and analytically validated highly sensitive and specific biomarker for the identification of post-treatment recurrent and residual Human Papillomavirus (HPV)-driven squamous cell oropharyngeal carcinoma (OPSCC)1,2. Data is accruing for other major HPV-driven cancers including anal cancer and uterine cervical cancer with clinical utility appear similarly promising3. TTMV-HPV DNA is a distinct biomarker for HPV-driven malignancy and can distinguish between HPV-driven malignancy and acute and or chronic HPV infection. In this study, taking advantage of a robust Cervical Dysplasia Clinic in existence at UMMC and a team of multidisciplinary experts focused on this project, the blood levels of TTMV-HPV DNA will be determined through a fully informed IRB approved clinical trial process to correlate with the grades of dysplasia