Striking lack of T cell immunodominance in both a multiclade and monoclade HIV-1 epidemic: implications for vaccine development

Near full-length HIV type 1M genomic sequences from Cameroon : Evidence of early diverging under-sampled lineages in the country

Background: Cameroon is the country in which HIV-1 group M (HIV-1M) likely originated and is today a major hotspot of HIV-1M genetic diversity. It remains unclear, however, whether the highly divergent HIV-1M lineages found in this country arose during the earliest phases of the global HIV-1M epidemic, or whether they arose more recently as a result of recombination events between globally circulating HIV-1M lineages.

Methodology: To differentiate between these two possibilities, we performed phylogenetic analyses of the near full genome sequences of nine newly sequenced divergent HIV-1M isolates and 15 previously identified, apparently unique recombinant forms (URFs) from Cameroon.

Results: Although two of the new genome sequences were clearly classifiable within subtype G, the remaining seven were highly divergent and phylogenetically branched either outside of, or very near the bases of clades containing the well characterised globally circulating viral lineages that they were most closely related to. Recombination analyses further revealed that these divergent viruses were likely complex URFs. We show, however that substantial portions (>1 Kb) of three of the new genome sequences and 15 of the previously characterised Cameroonian URFs have apparently been derived from divergent parental viruses that branch phylogenetically near the bases of the major HIV-1M clades.

Conclusions and implications: Our analyses indicate the presence in Cameroon of contemporary descendants of numerous early-diverging HIV-1M lineages. Further efforts to sample and sequence viruses from such lineages could be crucial both for retracing the earliest evolutionary steps during the emergence of HIV-1M in humans, and accurately reconstructing the ancestral sequences of the major globally circulating HIV-1M lineages.

Evaluating potential T-cell epitope peptides for detecting HIV-specific T cell responses in a highly diverse HIV-1 epidemic from Cameroon

HIV genetic diversity is a major obstacle for vaccine development. To define whether potential T-cell epitope (PTE) peptide usage improves the detection of T cell responses in a highly diverse HIV-1 epidemic, we compared the magnitude, breadth and depth of group M PTE peptide responses to consensus M peptides in Gag and Nef proteins. Gag PTE responses were detected at a higher magnitude, more Nef PTE responses were detected at a cohort (but not individual) level and depth was detected in both Gag and Nef responses.

Challenges in the design of a T cell vaccine in the context of HIV-1 diversity

The extraordinary variability of HIV-1 poses a major obstacle to vaccine development. The effectiveness of a vaccine is likely to vary dramatically in different populations infected with different HIV-1 subtypes, unless innovative vaccine immunogens are developed to protect against the range of HIV-1 diversity. Immunogen design for stimulating neutralizing antibody responses focuses on “breadth” – the targeting of a handful of highly conserved neutralizing determinants on the HIV-1 Envelope protein that can recognize the majority of viruses across all HIV-1 subtypes. An effective vaccine will likely require the generation of both broadly cross-neutralizing antibodies and non-neutralizing antibodies, as well as broadly cross-reactive T cells. Several approaches have been taken to design such broadly-reactive and cross-protective T cell immunogens. Artificial sequences have been designed that reduce the genetic distance between a vaccine strain and contemporary circulating viruses; “mosaic” immunogens extend this concept to contain multiple potential T cell epitope (PTE) variants; and further efforts attempt to focus T cell immunity on highly conserved regions of the HIV-1 genome. Thus far, a number of pre-clinical and early clinical studies have been performed assessing these new immunogens. In this review, the potential use of these new immunogens is explored.