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Joachim A, Ahmed MIM, Pollakis G, Rogers L, Hoffmann VS, Munseri P, Aboud S, Lyamuya EF, Bakari M, Robb ML, Wahren B, Sandstrom E, Nilsson C, Biberfeld G, Geldmacher C, Held K. Induction of Identical IgG HIV-1 Envelope Epitope Recognition Patterns After Initial HIVIS-DNA/MVA-CMDR Immunization and a Late MVA-CMDR Boost. Front Immunol 2020; 11:719. [PMID: 32411138 PMCID: PMC7198863 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.00719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
In the RV144 trial, to date the only HIV-1 vaccine efficacy trial demonstrating a modestly reduced risk of HIV-1 acquisition, antibody responses toward the HIV Envelope protein (Env) variable (V) 2 and V3 regions were shown to be correlated with a reduced risk of infection. These potentially protective antibody responses, in parallel with the vaccine efficacy, however, waned quickly. Dissecting vaccine-induced IgG recognition of antigenic regions and their variants within the HIV-1 Env from different vaccine trials will aid in designing future HIV-1 immunogens and vaccination schedules. We, therefore, analyzed the IgG response toward linear HIV-1 Env epitopes elicited by a multi-clade, multigene HIVIS-DNA priming, and heterologous recombinant modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA-CMDR) boosting regimen (HIVIS03) and assessed whether a late MVA-CMDR boost 3 years after completion of the initial vaccination schedule (HIVIS06) restored antibody responses toward these epitopes. Here we report that vaccination schedule in the HIVIS03 trial elicited IgG responses against linear epitopes within the V2 and V3 tip as well as against the gp41 immunodominant region in a high proportion of vaccinees. Antibodies against the V2 and gp41 Env regions were restricted to variants with close homology to the MVA-CMDR immunogen sequence, while V3 responses were more cross-reactive. Boosting with a late third MVA-CMDR after 3 years effectively restored waned IgG responses to linear Env epitopes and induced targeting of identical antigenic regions and variants comparable to the previous combined HIVIS-DNA/MVA-CMDR regimen. Our findings support the notion that anti-HIV-1 Env responses, associated with a reduced risk of infection in RV144, could be maintained by regular boosting with a single dose of MVA-CMDR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agricola Joachim
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS), Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Mohamed I M Ahmed
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.,German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Georgios Pollakis
- Faculty of Health and Life Science, Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom.,NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections (HPRU EZI), Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Lisa Rogers
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.,German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Verena S Hoffmann
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.,Institute for Medical Information Processing, Biometry, and Epidemiology, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Patricia Munseri
- Department of Internal Medicine, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS), Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Said Aboud
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS), Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Eligius F Lyamuya
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS), Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Muhammad Bakari
- Tanzania Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly, and Children, Dodoma, Tanzania
| | - Merlin L Robb
- Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR), Rockville, MD, United States.,Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Britta Wahren
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Eric Sandstrom
- Department of Clinical Science and Education, Karolinska Institutet, Sodersjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Charlotta Nilsson
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden.,The Public Health Agency of Sweden, Solna, Sweden
| | - Gunnel Biberfeld
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Christof Geldmacher
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.,German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Kathrin Held
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.,German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Munich, Munich, Germany
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Codon optimization and improved delivery/immunization regimen enhance the immune response against wild-type and drug-resistant HIV-1 reverse transcriptase, preserving its Th2-polarity. Sci Rep 2018; 8:8078. [PMID: 29799015 PMCID: PMC5967322 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-26281-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2017] [Accepted: 05/01/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA vaccines require a considerable enhancement of immunogenicity. Here, we optimized a prototype DNA vaccine against drug-resistant HIV-1 based on a weak Th2-immunogen, HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT). We designed expression-optimized genes encoding inactivated wild-type and drug-resistant RTs (RT-DNAs) and introduced them into mice by intradermal injections followed by electroporation. RT-DNAs were administered as single or double primes with or without cyclic-di-GMP, or as a prime followed by boost with RT-DNA mixed with a luciferase-encoding plasmid (“surrogate challenge”). Repeated primes improved cellular responses and broadened epitope specificity. Addition of cyclic-di-GMP induced a transient increase in IFN-γ production. The strongest anti-RT immune response was achieved in a prime-boost protocol with electroporation by short 100V pulses done using penetrating electrodes. The RT-specific response, dominated by CD4+ T-cells, targeted epitopes at aa 199–220 and aa 528–543. Drug-resistance mutations disrupted the epitope at aa 205–220, while the CTL epitope at aa 202–210 was not affected. Overall, multiparametric optimization of RT strengthened its Th2- performance. A rapid loss of RT/luciferase-expressing cells in the surrogate challenge experiment revealed a lytic potential of anti-RT response. Such lytic CD4+ response would be beneficial for an HIV vaccine due to its comparative insensitivity to immune escape.
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