Human papillomaviruses (HPV) establish
persistent infections because of evolved immune evasion mechanisms, particularly HPV-mediated suppression of the immune functions of Langerhans cells (LC), the antigen presenting cells of the epithelium. Polyinosinic-polycytidilic
acid (
Poly-I:C) is broadly immunostimulatory with the ability to enhance APC expression of costimulatory molecules and inflammatory
cytokines resulting in T cell activation. Here we investigated the activation of primary human LC derived from peripheral blood monocytes after exposure to HPV16 virus like particles followed by treatment with stabilized
Poly-I:C compounds (s-
Poly-I:C), and their subsequent induction of HPV16-specific T cells. Our results indicate that HPV16 particles alone were incapable of inducing LC activation as demonstrated by the lack of costimulatory molecules, inflammatory
cytokines,
chemokine-directed migration, and HPV16-specific CD8+ T cells in vitro. Conversely, s-
Poly-I:C caused significant upregulation of costimulatory molecules and induction of
chemokine-directed migration of LC that were pre-exposed to HPV16. In
HLA-A*0201-positive donors, s-
Poly-I:C treatment was able to induce CD8+ T cell immune responses against HPV16-derived
peptides. Thus, s-
Poly-I:C compounds are attractive for translation into
therapeutics in which they could potentially mediate clearance of persistent
HPV infection.