California-Mexico-Puerto Rico Partnership (CAMPO) Center for Prevention of HPV-related Cancer in HIV+ Populations

OF THE OVERALL COMPONENT Human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated cancers are major causes of morbidity and mortality in the Latin American and Caribbean region. Beyond universal HPV vaccination programs, cost-effective strategies are needed to enhance early detection and improve non-invasive management of precancerous lesions among HIV-positive women and men. Little is known about the performance of newer screening technologies in HIVpositive women in Latin America. The California-Mexico-Puerto Rico (CAMPO) Consortium will perform three clinical research studies focused on the prevention of cervical cancer among HIV-positive women in Mexico and Puerto Rico. Study 1 will examine new screening algorithms for cervical high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) in 4000 HIV-positive women in Mexico and Puerto Rico. This study will evaluate triage strategies that include liquid-based cytology, point-of-care genotyping for high-risk HPV DNA, E6/7 oncoprotein expression, and viral and host methylation to detect cervical HSIL among HIV-positive women. We hypothesize that a test with high sensitivity, followed by a test with high specificity, will provide for optimal sensitivity, specificity and predictive value for cervical HSIL in this population. We will also screen 1000 HIVpositive men who have sex with men (MSM) for anal HSIL to identify men with anal HSIL for our HSIL treatment studies (Studies 2 and 3) and evaluate anal HSIL screening algorithms using the same tests as those being done in the cervix. Through the cases of cervical and anal HSIL identified in these screening studies, the CAMPO Consortium will also develop and implement two randomized placebo-controlled treatment studies for HSIL. Study 2 will evaluate the impact of anogenital probiotic use on anal and cervical microbiota profiles and the relationship to anal and cervical HSIL regression in 600 HIV-positive women and men as well as reduction of high-risk HPV DNA persistence among those with no lesions. Study 3 will evaluate the safety and efficacy of a multivalent replication-defective adenovirus-based therapeutic HPV vaccine to treat cervical and anal HSIL in 300 HIV-positive women and men and identify immune response correlates of HSIL regression. Together, the proposed studies aim to develop novel strategies for cervical and anal cancer prevention for HIV-positive adults. The CAMPO Consortium will include three Cores to support the implementation of the Clinical Trials Program: (1) a Central Laboratory Core; (2) a Data Management and Statistical Core; and (3) an Administrative and Coordinating Core. Furthermore, investigators within the CAMPO Consortium will provide mentorship to support early career investigators from Mexico and Puerto Rico, fostering the next generation of cancer researchers focused on HPV-related cancers and HIV with the region. Through its unique combination of innovative science with research capacity-building and mentorship, we expect the CAMPO Consortium to have a substantial impact on cervical and anal cancer prevention efforts in the Latin American and Caribbean region.