Induction of apoptosis by protein kinase C pseudosubstrate lipopeptides in several human cells

Single-chain lipopeptide vaccines for the induction of virus-specific cytotoxic T cell responses in randomly selected populations

Effective vaccine development is now taking advantage of the rapidly accumulating information concerning the molecular basis of a protective immune response. Analysts and medicinal chemists have joined forces with immunologists and taken up the clear challenge of identifying immunologically active structural elements and synthesizing them in pure, reproducible forms. Current literature reveals the growing interest for extremely reductionist approaches aiming at producing totally synthetic vaccines that would be fully defined at the molecular level and particularly safe. The sequential information contained in these formulations tends to be minimized to those epitopes which elicit neutralizing antibodies, or cell-mediated responses. In the following review, we describe some of our results in developing fully synthetic, clinically acceptable lipopeptide vaccines for inducing cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) responses in randomly selected populations.

Type 1 CD4(+) T-cell help is required for induction of antipeptide multispecific cytotoxic T lymphocytes by a lipopeptidic vaccine in rhesus macaques

We have optimized the induction of antiviral cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) in rhesus macaques by a lipopeptide vaccine containing seven peptides from simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) Nef and Gag proteins and a strong T-helper peptide from tetanus toxoid (TT) that is promiscuous in humans (peptide TT 830-846). Two of the eight immunized macaques showed T-helper (Th) cell proliferation and a specific synthesis of gamma interferon in response to TT 830-846 peptide. They also showed multispecific cytotoxic activity against three to five of the immunizing SIV peptides. These results show the importance of a strong specific type 1 Th response for inducing a multispecific CTL response in vivo, which is essential for the development of an anti-human immunodeficiency virus vaccine.