Professor Merilyn Hibma

Contact Details
- Phone
- +64 3 479 7726
- merilyn.hibma@otago.ac.nz
University Links
- Position
- Professor
- Department
- Department of Pathology (Dunedin)
- Qualifications
- BSc MSc PhD(Otago)
- Research summary
- Immune regulation and its contribution to skin pathogenesis
Research
Merilyn is a Professor in the Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine. She worked for the Imperial Cancer Research Fund in University of Cambridge with Lionel Crawford (FRS), before being awarded an HRC Repatriation Fellowship and returning to the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Otago. In 2014 she was appointed to the Department of Pathology.
Her research interests include viral regulation of cell function and immunity in the skin, with a particular emphasis on human papillomavirus (HPV) and cancer. HPV causes persistent infections of cutaneous and mucosal skin and is the causal agent of cervical cancer. Although an effective prophylactic vaccine has been developed for the major cancer-causing HPV types, there is a continuing need for better therapeutics for HPV to address the health needs of individuals who are already infected with this high-prevalence virus. Understanding viral regulation of immunity by HPV and developing better immunotherapeutics to treat HPV are the focus of her research.
Publications
Lawton, B., MacDonald, E. J., Storey, F., Stanton, J.-A., Adcock, A., Gibson, M., … King, F., … Watson, H., Bennett, M., Lambert, C. S., Geller, S., Paasi, I., Hibma, M., Sykes, P., Hawkes, D., & Saville, M. (2023). A model for empowering rural solutions for cervical cancer prevention (He Tapu Te Whare Tangata): Protocol for a cluster randomized crossover trial. JMIR Research Protocols, 12, e51643. doi: 10.2196/51643
Saito, M., Rajesh, A., Innes, C., van der Griend, R., Fitzgerald, P., Simcock, B., Sykes, P., & Hibma, M. (2023). The high-risk human papillomavirus type influences the tissue microenvironment in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2. Viruses, 15, 1953. doi: 10.3390/v15091953
Ticar, V. S., Tschirley, A., Wilson, M., du Plessis, A., & Hibma, M. (2023). Case report: An adverse response to cyclosporin A treatment in BALB/cJ mice. Laboratory Animals. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1177/00236772231177857
Gibson-Helm, M., Slater, T., MacDonald, E. J., Stevenson, K., Adcock, A., Geller, S., … Hibma, M., Sykes, P., … Lawton, B. (2023). Te Ara Waiora-Implementing human papillomavirus (HPV) primary testing to prevent cervical cancer in Aotearoa New Zealand: A protocol for a non-inferiority trial. PLoS ONE, 18(3), e0280643. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0280643
Aziz, M. A., Seo, B., Hussaini, H. M., Hibma, M., & Rich, A. M. (2022). Comparing two methods for the isolation of exosomes. Journal of Nucleic Acids, 8648373. doi: 10.1155/2022/8648373
Rajesh, A., & Hibma, M. (2020). Novel concepts: Langerhans cells in the tumour microenvironment. In A. Birbrair (Ed.), Tumor microenvironment: Hematopoietic cells, part B: Advances in experimental medicine and biology (Vol. 1273). (pp. 147-158). Cham, Switzerland: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-49270-0_8
Chapter in Book - Research
Saito, M., Rajesh, A., Innes, C., van der Griend, R., Fitzgerald, P., Simcock, B., Sykes, P., & Hibma, M. (2023). The high-risk human papillomavirus type influences the tissue microenvironment in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2. Viruses, 15, 1953. doi: 10.3390/v15091953
Journal - Research Article
Aziz, M. A., Seo, B., Hussaini, H. M., Hibma, M., & Rich, A. M. (2022). Comparing two methods for the isolation of exosomes. Journal of Nucleic Acids, 8648373. doi: 10.1155/2022/8648373
Journal - Research Article
Rajesh, A., Saito, M., Morrin, H., Tschirley, A., Simcock, J., Currie, M., & Hibma, M. (2022). Characterisation of the immune microenvironment of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma in immunosuppression. Experimental Dermatology, 31, 1720-1728. doi: 10.1111/exd.14650
Journal - Research Article
Saito, M., Rajesh, A., Innes, C., van der Griend, R., Fitzgerald, P., Simcock, B., Sykes, P., & Hibma, M. (2022). Blimp-1 is a prognostic indicator for progression of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2. Journal of Cancer Research & Clinical Oncology, 148, 1991-2002. doi: 10.1007/s00432-022-03993-4
Journal - Research Article
Sykes, P. H., Simcock, B. J., Innes, C. R., Harker, D., Williman, J. A., Whitehead, M., van der Griend, R. A., … Hibma, M., … Petrich, S., … Sadler, L. (2022). Predicting regression of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 in women under 25 years. American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, 226, 222.e1-222.e13. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2021.09.009
Journal - Research Article
MacDonald, E. J., Geller, S., Sibanda, N., Stevenson, K., Denmead, L., Adcock, A., Cram, F., Hibma, M., & Lawton, B. (2021). Reaching under-screened/never-screened indigenous peoples with human papilloma virus self-testing: A community-based cluster randomised controlled trial. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, 61, 135-141. doi: 10.1111/ajo.13285
Journal - Research Article
Mohd Zawawi, W. F. A. W., Hibma, M. H., Salim, M. I., & Jemon, K. (2021). Hyperthermia by near infrared radiation induced immune cells activation and infiltration in breast tumor. Scientific Reports, 11(1), 10278. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-89740-0
Journal - Research Article
Tschirley, A. M., Stockwell, P. A., Rodger, E. J., Eltherington, O., Morison, I. M., Christensen, N., Chatterjee, A., & Hibma, M. (2021). The mouse papillomavirus epigenetic signature is characterised by DNA hypermethylation after lesion regression. Viruses, 13, 2045. doi: 10.3390/v13102045
Journal - Research Article
Dempster-Rivett, K., Innes, C. R., Simcock, B. J., Harker, D., Williman, J. A., Van Der Griend, R. A., Whitehead, M., Hibma, M., … Petrich, S., Faherty, J., … Sykes, P. H. (2020). Evaluation of guidelines for observational management of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 2 in young women. American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, 223, 408.e1-408.e11. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2020.02.029
Journal - Research Article
Rajesh, A., Stuart, G., Real, N., Ahn, J., Tschirley, A., Wise, L., & Hibma, M. (2020). Depletion of langerin+ cells enhances cutaneous wound healing. Immunology, 160, 366-381. doi: 10.1111/imm.13202
Journal - Research Article
Adcock, A., Cram, F., Lawton, B., Geller, S., Hibma, M., Sykes, P., … Hart, S. (2019). Acceptability of self-taken vaginal HPV sample for cervical screening among an under-screened Indigenous population. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, 59, 301-307. doi: 10.1111/ajo.12933
Journal - Research Article
Innes, C. R., Sykes, P. H., Harker, D., Williman, J. A., Van der Griend, R. A., Whitehead, M., Hibma, M., … Petrich, S., Faherty, J., … Simcock, B. J. (2018). Changes in human papillomavirus genotypes associated with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 lesions in a cohort of young women (2013–2016). Papillomavirus Research, 6, 77-82. doi: 10.1016/j.pvr.2018.10.010
Journal - Research Article
Zhang, J., Burn, C., Young, K., Wilson, M., Ly, K., Budhwani, M., Tschirley, A., Braithwaite, A., Baird, M., & Hibma, M. (2018). Microparticles produced by human papillomavirus type 16 E7-expressing cells impair antigen presenting cell function and the cytotoxic T cell response. Scientific Reports, 8, 2373. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-20779-2
Journal - Research Article
Jemon, K., Leong, C.-M., Ly, K., Young, S. L., McLellan, A. D., & Hibma, M. H. (2016). Suppression of the CD8 T cell response by human papillomavirus type 16 E7 occurs in Langerhans cell-depleted mice. Scientific Reports, 6, 34789. doi: 10.1038/srep34789
Journal - Research Article
Warif, N. M. A., Stoitzner, P., Leggatt, G. R., Mattarollo, S. R., Frazer, I. H., & Hibma, M. H. (2015). Langerhans cell homeostasis and activation Is altered in hyperplastic human papillomavirus type 16 E7 expressing epidermis. PLoS ONE, 10(5), e0127155. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0127155
Journal - Research Article
Jemon, K., Young, V., Wilson, M., McKee, S., Ward, V., Baird, M., Young, S., & Hibma, M. (2013). An enhanced heterologous virus-like particle for human papillomavirus type 16 tumour immunotherapy. PLoS ONE, 8(6), e66866. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0066866
Journal - Research Article
D'Costa, Z. J., Jolly, C., Androphy, E. J., Mercer, A., Matthews, C. M., & Hibma, M. H. (2012). Transcriptional repression of E-cadherin by human papillomavirus type 16 E6. PLoS ONE, 7(11), e48954. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0048954
Journal - Research Article
D'Costa, Z. J., Leong, C.-M., Shields, J., Matthews, C., & Hibma, M. H. (2012). Screening of drugs to counteract human papillomavirus 16 E6 repression of E-cadherin expression. Investigational New Drugs, 30(6), 2236-2251. doi: 10.1007/s10637-012-9803-0
Journal - Research Article
Dutton, S., Fleming, S. B., Ueda, N., Heath, D. D., Hibma, M. H., & Mercer, A. A. (2012). Delivery of Echinococcus granulosus antigen EG95 to mice and sheep using recombinant vaccinia virus. Parasite Immunology, 34(6), 312-317. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3024.2012.01360.x
Journal - Research Article
Hibma, M. H. (2012). The immune response to papillomavirus during infection persistence and regression. Open Virology Journal, 6(Suppl. 2), 241-248. doi: 10.2174/1874357901206010241
Journal - Research Article
Rose, S. B., Lawton, B. A., Lanumata, T. S., Hibma, M., & Baker, M. G. (2012). Predictors of intent to vaccinate against HPV/cervical cancer: A multi-ethnic survey of 769 parents in New Zealand. New Zealand Medical Journal, 125(1350). Retrieved from http://www.nzma.org.nz/journal
Journal - Research Article
Leong, C. M., Doorbar, J., Nindl, I., Yoon, H.-S., & Hibma, M. H. (2010). Loss of epidermal Langerhans cells occurs in human papillomavirus α, γ, and μ but not β genus infections. Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 130(2), 472-480. doi: 10.1038/jid.2009.266
Journal - Research Article
Leong, C.-M., Doorbar, J., Nindl, I., Yoon, H.-S., & Hibma, M. H. (2010). Deregulation of E-cadherin by human papillomavirus is not confined to high-risk, cancer-causing types. British Journal of Dermatology, 163(6), 1253-1263. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2133.2010.09968.x
Journal - Research Article
Rose, S. B., Lawton, B. A., Lanumata, T., Hibma, M., & Baker, M. G. (2010). HPV/cervical cancer vaccination: Parental preferences on age, place and information needs. Journal of Primary Health Care, 2(3), 190-198.
Journal - Research Article
Hibma, M. H., Real, N. C., Wiles, A., Dobson-Le, D., Dix, B. R., Wynford-Thomas, D., Braithwaite, A. W., & Royds, J. A. (2009). Increased apoptosis and reduced replication efficiency of the E3 region-modified dl309 adenovirus in cancer cells. Virus Research, 145(1), 112-120. doi: 10.1016/j.virusres.2009.06.016
Journal - Research Article
Westphal, D., Ledgerwood, E. C., Tyndall, J. D. A., Hibma, M. H., Ueda, N., Fleming, S. B., & Mercer, A. A. (2009). The orf virus inhibitor of apoptosis functions in a Bcl-2-like manner, binding and neutralizing a set of BH3-only proteins and active Bax. Apoptosis, 14(11), 1317-1330. doi: 10.1007/s10495-009-0403-1
Journal - Research Article
Heinemann, L., Woodfield, L., Amer, M., & Hibma, M. (2008). Effective induction of type 1 helper IgG2a and cytotoxic T-cell responses in mice following immunization with human papillomavirus type 16 E2 in MF59. Viral Immunology, 21(2), 225-233. doi: 10.1089/vim.2007.0101
Journal - Research Article
Dillon, S., Sasagawa, T., Crawford, A., Prestidge, J., Inder, M. K., Jerram, J., Mercer, A. A., & Hibma, M. (2007). Resolution of cervical dysplasia is associated with T-cell proliferative responses to human papillomavirus type 16 E2. Journal of General Virology, 88, 803-813.
Journal - Research Article
Westphal, D., Ledgerwood, E. C., Hibma, M. H., Fleming, S. B., Whelan, E. M., & Mercer, A. A. (2007). A novel Bcl-2-like inhibitor of apoptosis is encoded by the parapoxvirus orf virus. Journal of Virology, 81(13), 7178-7188.
Journal - Research Article
Royds, J. A., Hibma, M., Dix, B. R., Hananeia, L., Russell, I. A., Wiles, A., … Braithwaite, A. W. (2006). p53 promotes adenoviral replication and increases late viral gene expression. Oncogene, 25, 1509-1520.
Journal - Research Article
Leong, C.-M., & Hibma, M. H. (2005). A flow cytometry-based assay for the measurement of protein regulation of E-cadherin-mediated adhesion. Journal of Immunological Methods, 302, 116-124.
Journal - Research Article
Heinemann, L., Dillon, S., Crawford, A., Bäckström, B. T., & Hibma, M. H. (2004). Flow cytometric quantitation of the protective efficacy of dendritic cell based vaccines in a human papillomavirus type 16 murine challenge model. Journal of Virological Methods, 117, 9-18.
Journal - Research Article
Matthews, K. E., Leong, C. M., Baxter, L., Inglis, E., Yun, K., Bäckström, B. T., … Hibma, M. H. (2003). Depletion of Langerhans cells in human papillomavirus type 16-infected skin is associated with E6-mediated down regulation of E-cadherin. Journal of Virology, 77(15), 8378-8385. doi: 10.1128/JVI.77.15.8378-8385.2003
Journal - Research Article
Middleton, K., Peh, W., Southern, S., Griffin, H., Sotlar, K., Nakahara, T., … Hibma, M. H., … Doorbar, J. (2003). Organization of human papillomavirus productive cycle during neoplastic progression provides a basis for selection of diagnostic markers. Journal of Virology, 77(19), 10186-10201.
Journal - Research Article
Edwards, S. J., Dix, B. R., Myers, C. J., Dobson-Le, D., Huschtscha, L., Hibma, M., Royds, J., & Braithwaite, A. W. (2002). Evidence that replication of the antitumor adenovirus ONYX-015 is not controlled by the p53 and p14ARF tumor suppressor genes. Journal of Virology, 76(24), 12483-12490. doi: 10.1128/JVI.76.24.12483-12490.2002
Journal - Research Article
Heinemann, B. L., Dillon, S. M., & Hibma, M. H. (2002). Immunisation with bone marrow-derived dendritic cells presenting HPV-16 E2 protects mice from virus challenge. New Zealand Medical Journal, 115(1159). Retrieved from http://www.nzma.org.nz/journal/115-1159
Journal - Research Article
Hibma, M., & Braithwaite, A. (2001). Viruses to the rescue: p53-based therapies in the fight against cancer. New Zealand Medical Journal, 114(1133), 266-269.
Journal - Research Article
Housawi, F. M., Roberts, G. M., Gilray, J. A., Pow, I., Reid, H. W., Nettleton, P. F., … Hibma, M. H., & Mercer, A. A. (1998). The reactivity of monoclonal antibodies against orf virus with other parapoxviruses and the identification of a 39 kDa immunodominant protein. Archives of Virology, 143(12), 2289-2303.
Journal - Research Article
Stellato, G., Paavonen, J., Nieminen, P., Hibma, M., Vilja, P., & Lehtinen, M. (1997). Diagnostic phase antibody response to the human papillomavirus type 16 E2 protein is associated with successful treatment of genital HPV lesions with systemic interferon α-2b. Clinical & Diagnostic Virology, 7(3), 167-172.
Journal - Research Article
Zatsepina, O., Braspenning, J., Robberson, D., Hajibagheri, M., Blight, K., Ely, S., Hibma, M., … Tommasino, M. (1997). The human papillomavirus type 16 E7 protein is associated with the nucleolus in mammalian and yeast cells. Oncogene, 14(10), 1137-1145.
Journal - Research Article
Gibson-Helm, M., Slater, T., MacDonald, E. J., Stevenson, K., Adcock, A., Geller, S., … Hibma, M., Sykes, P., … Lawton, B. (2023). Te Ara Waiora-Implementing human papillomavirus (HPV) primary testing to prevent cervical cancer in Aotearoa New Zealand: A protocol for a non-inferiority trial. PLoS ONE, 18(3), e0280643. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0280643
Journal - Research Other
Lawton, B., MacDonald, E. J., Storey, F., Stanton, J.-A., Adcock, A., Gibson, M., … King, F., … Watson, H., Bennett, M., Lambert, C. S., Geller, S., Paasi, I., Hibma, M., Sykes, P., Hawkes, D., & Saville, M. (2023). A model for empowering rural solutions for cervical cancer prevention (He Tapu Te Whare Tangata): Protocol for a cluster randomized crossover trial. JMIR Research Protocols, 12, e51643. doi: 10.2196/51643
Journal - Research Other
Ticar, V. S., Tschirley, A., Wilson, M., du Plessis, A., & Hibma, M. (2023). Case report: An adverse response to cyclosporin A treatment in BALB/cJ mice. Laboratory Animals. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1177/00236772231177857
Journal - Research Other
Hibma, M. (2022). Special Issue: HPV and HPV Vaccines. Viruses, 14, 274. doi: 10.3390/v14020274
Journal - Research Other
Rajesh, A., Stuart, G., Real, N., Tschirley, A., Ahn, J., Wise, L., & Hibma, M. (2021). Skin antigen presenting cells and wound healing: New knowledge gained and challenges encountered using mouse depletion models. Immunology, 163, 98-104. doi: 10.1111/imm.13311
Journal - Research Other
Lawton, B., Heffernan, M., Wurtak, G., Steben, M., Lhaki, P., Cram, F., … Hibma, M., Adcock, A., … Garland, S. M. (2020). IPVS Policy Statement addressing the burden of HPV disease for Indigenous peoples. Papillomavirus Research, 9, 100191. doi: 10.1016/j.pvr.2019.100191
Journal - Research Other
Rajesh, A., Wise, L., & Hibma, M. (2019). The role of Langerhans cells in pathologies of the skin. Immunology & Cell Biology, 97(8), 700-713. doi: 10.1111/imcb.12253
Journal - Research Other
Sykes, P., Innes, C., Harker, D., Whitehead, M., van der Griend, R., Lawton, B., Hibma, M., … Petrich, S., Faherty, J., Bergzoll, C., … Parker, C., Sadler, L., & Simcock, B. (2016). Observational management of CIN 2 in young women: A prospective multicenter trial. Journal of Lower Genital Tract Disease, 20(4), 343-347. doi: 10.1097/lgt.0000000000000244
Journal - Research Other
Leong, C. M., Hibma, M., & Tarbotton, J. (2007). Self-applied treatment of persistent plantar wart with 5% imiquimod cream [Letter]. New Zealand Medical Journal, 120(1259). Retrieved from http://journal.nzma.org.nz/journal/120-1259/2668/content.pdf
Journal - Research Other