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Govindan R, Stephenson KE. HIV Vaccine Development at a Crossroads: New B and T Cell Approaches. Vaccines (Basel) 2024; 12:1043. [PMID: 39340073 PMCID: PMC11435826 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines12091043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2024] [Revised: 09/03/2024] [Accepted: 09/06/2024] [Indexed: 09/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite rigorous scientific efforts over the forty years since the onset of the global HIV pandemic, a safe and effective HIV-1 vaccine remains elusive. The challenges of HIV vaccine development have proven immense, in large part due to the tremendous sequence diversity of HIV and its ability to escape from antiviral adaptive immune responses. In recent years, several phase 3 efficacy trials have been conducted, testing a similar hypothesis, e.g., that non-neutralizing antibodies and classical cellular immune responses could prevent HIV-1 acquisition. These studies were not successful. As a result, the field has now pivoted to bold novel approaches, including sequential immunization strategies to drive the generation of broadly neutralizing antibodies and human CMV-vectored vaccines to elicit MHC-E-restricted CD8+ T cell responses. Many of these vaccine candidates are now in phase 1 trials, with early promising results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramesh Govindan
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Center for Virology and Vaccine Research, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA 02215, USA;
| | - Kathryn E. Stephenson
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Center for Virology and Vaccine Research, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA 02215, USA;
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
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2
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Wee EGT, Kempster S, Ferguson D, Hall J, Ham C, Morris S, Crook A, Gilbert SC, Korber B, Almond N, Hanke T. Design, Immunogenicity and Preclinical Efficacy of the ChAdOx1.COVconsv12 Pan-Sarbecovirus T-Cell Vaccine. Vaccines (Basel) 2024; 12:965. [PMID: 39339997 PMCID: PMC11436245 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines12090965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2024] [Revised: 08/22/2024] [Accepted: 08/24/2024] [Indexed: 09/30/2024] Open
Abstract
During the COVID-19 pandemic, antibody-based vaccines targeting the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein were the focus for development because neutralizing antibodies were associated with protection against the SARS-CoV-2 infection pre-clinically and in humans. While deploying these spike-based vaccines saved millions of lives worldwide, it has become clear that the immunological mechanisms of protection against severe disease are multifaceted and involve non-neutralizing antibody components. Here, we describe a novel pan-sarbecovirus T-cell vaccine, ChAdOx1.COVconsv12, designed to complement and broaden the protection of spike vaccines. The vaccine immunogen COVconsv12 employs the two regions in the viral proteome most conserved among sarbecoviruses, which are delivered by replication-deficient vector ChAdOx1. It directs T cells towards epitopes shared among sarbecoviruses including evolving SARS-CoV-2 variants. Here, we show that ChAdOx1.COVconsv12 induced broad T-cell responses in the BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice. In the Syrian hamster challenge model, ChAdOx1.COVconsv12 alone did not protect against the SARS-CoV-2 infection, but when co-administered with 1/50th of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 spike vaccine protective dose, faster recovery and lower oral swab viral load were observed. Induction of CD8+ T cells may decrease COVID-19 severity and extend the T-cell response coverage of variants to match the known (and as yet unknown) members of the β-coronavirus family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edmund G-T Wee
- The Jenner Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Sarah Kempster
- Science and Research-Diagnostics, Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, Potters Bar EN6 3QG, UK
| | - Deborah Ferguson
- Science and Research-Diagnostics, Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, Potters Bar EN6 3QG, UK
| | - Joanna Hall
- Science and Research-Diagnostics, Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, Potters Bar EN6 3QG, UK
| | - Claire Ham
- Science and Research-Diagnostics, Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, Potters Bar EN6 3QG, UK
| | - Susan Morris
- Pandemic Sciences Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Alison Crook
- The Jenner Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Sarah C Gilbert
- Pandemic Sciences Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Bette Korber
- New Mexico Consortium, Los Alamos, NM 87544, USA
| | - Neil Almond
- Science and Research-Diagnostics, Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, Potters Bar EN6 3QG, UK
| | - Tomáš Hanke
- The Jenner Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK
- Joint Research Center for Human Retrovirus Infection, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-0811, Japan
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3
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Del Moral-Sánchez I, Wee EG, Xian Y, Lee WH, Allen JD, Torrents de la Peña A, Fróes Rocha R, Ferguson J, León AN, Koekkoek S, Schermer EE, Burger JA, Kumar S, Zwolsman R, Brinkkemper M, Aartse A, Eggink D, Han J, Yuan M, Crispin M, Ozorowski G, Ward AB, Wilson IA, Hanke T, Sliepen K, Sanders RW. Triple tandem trimer immunogens for HIV-1 and influenza nucleic acid-based vaccines. NPJ Vaccines 2024; 9:74. [PMID: 38582771 PMCID: PMC10998906 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-024-00862-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Recombinant native-like HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env) trimers are used in candidate vaccines aimed at inducing broadly neutralizing antibodies. While state-of-the-art SOSIP or single-chain Env designs can be expressed as native-like trimers, undesired monomers, dimers and malformed trimers that elicit non-neutralizing antibodies are also formed, implying that these designs could benefit from further modifications for gene-based vaccination approaches. Here, we describe the triple tandem trimer (TTT) design, in which three Env protomers are genetically linked in a single open reading frame and express as native-like trimers. Viral vectored Env TTT induced similar neutralization titers but with a higher proportion of trimer-specific responses. The TTT design was also applied to generate influenza hemagglutinin (HA) trimers without the need for trimerization domains. Additionally, we used TTT to generate well-folded chimeric Env and HA trimers that harbor protomers from three different strains. In summary, the TTT design is a useful platform for the design of HIV-1 Env and influenza HA immunogens for a multitude of vaccination strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iván Del Moral-Sánchez
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Edmund G Wee
- The Jenner Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Yuejiao Xian
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Wen-Hsin Lee
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Joel D Allen
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Alba Torrents de la Peña
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Rebeca Fróes Rocha
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - James Ferguson
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - André N León
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Sylvie Koekkoek
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Edith E Schermer
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Judith A Burger
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Sanjeev Kumar
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Department of Biochemistry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Robby Zwolsman
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Mitch Brinkkemper
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Aafke Aartse
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Department of Virology, Biomedical Primate Research Centre, Rijswijk, Netherlands
| | - Dirk Eggink
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Julianna Han
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Meng Yuan
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Max Crispin
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Gabriel Ozorowski
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Andrew B Ward
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Ian A Wilson
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Tomáš Hanke
- The Jenner Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Joint Research Center for Human Retrovirus Infection, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Kwinten Sliepen
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Rogier W Sanders
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY, USA.
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Wang Y. Rendezvous with Vaccinia Virus in the Post-smallpox Era: R&D Advances. Viruses 2023; 15:1742. [PMID: 37632084 PMCID: PMC10457812 DOI: 10.3390/v15081742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 08/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Smallpox was eradicated in less than 200 years after Edward Jenner's practice of cowpox variolation in 1796. The forty-three years of us living free of smallpox, beginning in 1979, never truly separated us from poxviruses. The recent outbreak of monkeypox in May 2022 might well warn us of the necessity of keeping up both the scientific research and public awareness of poxviruses. One of them in particular, the vaccinia virus (VACV), has been extensively studied as a vector given its broad host range, extraordinary thermal stability, and exceptional immunogenicity. Unceasing fundamental biological research on VACV provides us with a better understanding of its genetic elements, involvement in cellular signaling pathways, and modulation of host immune responses. This enables the rational design of safer and more efficacious next-generation vectors. To address the new technological advancement within the past decade in VACV research, this review covers the studies of viral immunomodulatory genes, modifications in commonly used vectors, novel mechanisms for rapid generation and purification of recombinant virus, and several other innovative approaches to studying its biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxiang Wang
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institutes of Health, 40 Convent Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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5
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Beavis AC, Wee EGT, Akis Yildirim BM, Borthwick N, He B, Hanke T. Combined intranasal and intramuscular parainfluenza 5-, simian adenovirus ChAdOx1- and poxvirus MVA-vectored vaccines induce synergistically HIV-1-specific T cells in the mucosa. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1186478. [PMID: 37529048 PMCID: PMC10390215 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1186478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The primary goal of this work is to broaden and enhance the options for induction of protective CD8+ T cells against HIV-1 and respiratory pathogens. Methods We explored the advantages of the parainfluenza virus 5 (PIV5) vector for delivery of pathogen-derived transgenes alone and in combination with the in-human potent regimen of simian adenovirus ChAdOx1 prime-poxvirus MVA boost delivering bi-valent mosaic of HIV-1 conserved regions designated HIVconsvX. Results We showed in BALB/c mice that the PIV5 vector expressing the HIVconsvX immunogens could be readily incorporated with the other two vaccine modalities into a single regimen and that for specific vector combinations, mucosal CD8+ T-cell induction was enhanced synergistically by a combination of the intranasal and intramuscular routes of administration. Discussion Encouraging safety and immunogenicity data from phase 1 human trials of ChAdOx1- and MVA-vectored vaccines for HIV-1, and PIV5-vectored vaccines for SARS-CoV-2 and respiratory syncytial virus pave the way for combining these vectors for HIV-1 and other indications in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley C. Beavis
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Edmund G. -T. Wee
- The Jenner Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Belkis M. Akis Yildirim
- The Jenner Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Nicola Borthwick
- The Jenner Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Biao He
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Tomáš Hanke
- The Jenner Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Joint Research Center for Human Retrovirus Infection, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
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6
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Matthews DA, Milligan R, Wee EG, Hanke T. Adenovirus Transcriptome in Human Cells Infected with ChAdOx1-Vectored Candidate HIV-1 Vaccine Is Dominated by High Levels of Correctly Spliced HIVconsv1&62 Transgene RNA. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:1187. [PMID: 37515003 PMCID: PMC10384973 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11071187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2023] [Revised: 06/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
We develop candidate HIV-1 vaccines, of which two components, ChAdOx1.tHIVconsv1 (C1) and ChAdOx1.HIVconsv62 (C62), are delivered by the simian adenovirus-derived vaccine vector ChAdOx1. Aberrant adenovirus RNA splicing involving transgene(s) coding for the SARS-CoV-2 spike was suggested as an aetiology of rare adverse events temporarily associated with the initial deployment of adenovirus-vectored vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here, to eliminate this theoretically plausible splicing phenomenon from the list of possible pathomechanisms for our HIV-1 vaccine candidates, we directly sequenced mRNAs in C1- and C62-infected nonpermissive MRC-5 and A549 and permissive HEK293 human cell lines. Our two main observations in nonpermissive human cells, which are most similar to those which become infected after the intramuscular administration of vaccines into human volunteers, were that (i) the dominant adenovirus vector-derived mRNAs were the expected transcripts coding for the HIVconsvX immunogens and (ii) atypical splicing events within the synthetic open reading frame of the two transgenes are rare. We conclude that inadvertent RNA splicing is not a safety concern for the two tested candidate HIV-1 vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Matthews
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Rachel Milligan
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Edmund G Wee
- The Jenner Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Tomáš Hanke
- The Jenner Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK
- Joint Research Center for Human Retrovirus Infection, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-0811, Japan
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7
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Akbari E, Seyedinkhorasani M, Bolhassani A. Conserved multiepitope vaccine constructs: A potent HIV-1 therapeutic vaccine in clinical trials. Braz J Infect Dis 2023; 27:102774. [PMID: 37156468 PMCID: PMC10188636 DOI: 10.1016/j.bjid.2023.102774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2022] [Revised: 03/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the success of Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) in preventing HIV-1-associated clinical progression to AIDS, it is unable to eliminate the viral reservoirs and eradicate the HIV-1 infection. Therapeutic vaccination is an alternative approach to alter the HIV-1 infection course. It can induce effective HIV-1-specific immunity to control viremia and eliminate the need for lifelong ART. Immunological data from spontaneous HIV-1 controllers have shown that cross-reactive T-cell responses are the key immune mechanism in HIV-1 control. Directing these responses toward preferred HIV-1 epitopes is a promising strategy in therapeutic vaccine settings. Designing novel immunogens based on the HIV-1 conserved regions containing a wide range of critical T- and B-cell epitopes of the main viral antigens (conserved multiepitope approaches) supplies broad coverage of global diversity in HIV-1 strains and Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) alleles. It can also prevent immune induction to undesirable decoy epitopes theoretically. The efficacy of different novel HIV-1 immunogens based on the conserved and/or functional protective site of HIV-1 proteome has been evaluated in multiple clinical trials. Most of these immunogens were generally safe and able to induce potent HIV-1-specific immunity. However, despite these findings, several candidates have demonstrated limited efficacy in viral replication control. In this study, we used the PubMed and ClinicalTrial.gov databases to review the rationale of designing curative HIV-1 vaccine immunogens based on the conserved favorable site of the virus. Most of these studies evaluate the efficacy of vaccine candidates in combination with other therapeutics and/or with new formulations and immunization protocols. This review briefly describes the design of conserved multiepitope constructs and outlines the results of these vaccine candidates in the recent clinical pipeline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elahe Akbari
- Department of Hepatitis and AIDS, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Azam Bolhassani
- Department of Hepatitis and AIDS, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
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8
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Brander C, Hartigan-O’Connor D. HIV T-cell immunogen design and delivery. Curr Opin HIV AIDS 2022; 17:333-337. [PMID: 36165078 PMCID: PMC9530002 DOI: 10.1097/coh.0000000000000765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF THE REVIEW Not all T-cell responses against HIV are created equally and responses of certain epitope specificities have been associated with superior control of infection. These insights have spurred the development of a wide range of immunogen sequences, each with particular advantages and limitations. RECENT FINDINGS We review some of the most advanced designs that have reached or are close to reaching human clinical trials, with a special focus on T-cell immunogen developed for therapeutic use. We also touch upon the importance of how immunogens are delivered and point out the lamentable fact that there is essentially no alignment between different designs and vaccine regimens, which is a major hindrance to accelerated advances in the field. SUMMARY The design of an immunogen able to induce T-cell responses of adequate specificity and functionality is subject of a wide range of preclinical and clinical studies. Few designs have shown promise to date, but emerging data highlight the critical contribution of specificity to effective antiviral activity in vivo .
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Brander
- Irsicaixa - AIDS Research Institute, Badalona, Spain
- Universitat de Vic-Universitat Central de Catalunya (UVic-UCC), Vic, Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Dennis Hartigan-O’Connor
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
- Department in Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
- Division of Experimental Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA
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9
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Adenovirus DNA Polymerase Loses Fidelity on a Stretch of Eleven Homocytidines during Pre-GMP Vaccine Preparation. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:vaccines10060960. [PMID: 35746566 PMCID: PMC9227658 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10060960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, we invented and construct novel candidate HIV-1 vaccines. Through genetic and protein engineering, we unknowingly constructed an HIV-1-derived transgene with a homopolymeric run of 11 cytidines, which was inserted into an adenovirus vaccine vector. Here, we describe the virus rescue, three rounds of clonal purification and preparation of good manufacturing practise (GMP) starting material assessed for genetic stability in five additional virus passages. Throughout these steps, quality control assays indicated the presence of the transgene in the virus genome, expression of the correct transgene product and immunogenicity in mice. However, DNA sequencing of the transgene revealed additional cytidines inserted into the original 11-cytidine region, and the GMP manufacture had to be aborted. Subsequent analyses indicated that as little as 1/25th of the virus dose used for confirmation of protein expression (106 cells at a multiplicity of infection of 10) and murine immunogenicity (108 infectious units per animal) met the quality acceptance criteria. Similar frameshifts in the expressed proteins were reproduced in a one-reaction in vitro transcription/translation employing phage T7 polymerase and E. coli ribosomes. Thus, the most likely mechanism for addition of extra cytidines into the ChAdOx1.tHIVconsv6 genome is that the adenovirus DNA polymerase lost its fidelity on a stretch of 11 cytidines, which informs future adenovirus vaccine designs.
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Li M, Yuan Y, Li P, Deng Z, Wen Z, Wang H, Feng F, Zou H, Chen L, Tang S, Sun C. Comparison of the Immunogenicity of HIV-1 CRF07_BC Gag Antigen With or Without a Seven Amino Acid Deletion in p6 Region. Front Immunol 2022; 13:850719. [PMID: 35450078 PMCID: PMC9017423 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.850719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
HIV-1 CRF07_BC-p6Δ7, a strain with a seven amino acid deletion in the p6 region of the Gag protein, is becoming the dominant strain of HIV transmission among men who have sex with men (MSM) in China. Previous studies demonstrated that HIV-1 patients infected by CRF07_BC-p6Δ7 strain had lower viral load and slower disease progression than those patients infected with CRF07_BC wild-type strain. However, the underlying mechanism for this observation is not fully clarified yet. In this study, we constructed the recombinant DNA plasmid and adenovirus type 2 (Ad2) vector-based constructs to express the HIV-1 CRF07_BC Gag antigen with or without p6Δ7 mutation and then investigated their immunogenicity in mice. Our results showed that HIV-1 CRF07_BC Gag antigen with p6Δ7 mutation induced a comparable level of Gag-specific antibodies but stronger CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell immune responses than that of CRF07_BC Gag (07_BC-wt). Furthermore, we identified a series of T-cell epitopes, which induced strong T-cell immune response and cross-immunity with CRF01_AE Gag. These findings implied that the p6Gag protein with a seven amino acid deletion might enhance the Gag immunogenicity in particular cellular immunity, which provides valuable information to clarify the pathogenic mechanism of HIV-1 CRF07_BC-p6Δ7 and to develop precise vaccine strategies against HIV-1 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minchao Li
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yue Yuan
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Pingchao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health (GIBH), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhaomin Deng
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Ziyu Wen
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Haiying Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Fengling Feng
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Huachun Zou
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Ling Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health (GIBH), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shixing Tang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Caijun Sun
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China.,Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control (Sun Yat-Sen University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China
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