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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 DOI: 10.1016/j.bjid.2023.102774] [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: 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
- Pasteur Institute of Iran, Department of Hepatitis and AIDS, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Azam Bolhassani
- Pasteur Institute of Iran, Department of Hepatitis and AIDS, Tehran, Iran.
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Hou C, Jin Y, Wu H, Li P, Liu L, Zheng K, Wang C. Alternative strategies for Chlamydia treatment: Promising non-antibiotic approaches. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:987662. [PMID: 36504792 PMCID: PMC9727249 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.987662] [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: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Chlamydia is an obligate intracellular bacterium where most species are pathogenic and infectious, causing various infectious diseases and complications in humans and animals. Antibiotics are often recommended for the clinical treatment of chlamydial infections. However, extensive research has shown that antibiotics may not be sufficient to eliminate or inhibit infection entirely and have some potential risks, including antibiotic resistance. The impact of chlamydial infection and antibiotic misuse should not be underestimated in public health. This study explores the possibility of new therapeutic techniques, including a review of recent studies on preventing and suppressing chlamydial infection by non-antibiotic compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Hou
- School of Basic Medicine, Hengyang Medical College, Institute of Pathogenic Biology, University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Yingqi Jin
- School of Basic Medicine, Hengyang Medical College, Institute of Pathogenic Biology, University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Hua Wu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Affiliated Hengyang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Hengyang Central Hospital, Hengyang, China
| | - Pengyi Li
- School of Basic Medicine, Hengyang Medical College, Institute of Pathogenic Biology, University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Longyun Liu
- School of Basic Medicine, Hengyang Medical College, Institute of Pathogenic Biology, University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Kang Zheng
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Affiliated Hengyang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Hengyang Central Hospital, Hengyang, China,*Correspondence: Kang Zheng
| | - Chuan Wang
- School of Basic Medicine, Hengyang Medical College, Institute of Pathogenic Biology, University of South China, Hengyang, China,Chuan Wang
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Gao L, Zhou J, Ye L. Role of CXCR5 + CD8 + T cells in human immunodeficiency virus-1 infection. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:998058. [PMID: 36452930 PMCID: PMC9701836 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.998058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection can be effectively suppressed by life-long administration of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART). However, the viral rebound can occur upon cART cessation due to the long-term presence of HIV reservoirs, posing a considerable barrier to drug-free viral remission. Memory CD4+ T cell subsets, especially T follicular helper (T FH ) cells that reside in B-cell follicles within lymphoid tissues, are regarded as the predominant cellular compartment of the HIV reservoir. Substantial evidence indicates that HIV-specific CD8+ T cell-mediated cellular immunity can sustain long-term disease-free and transmission-free HIV control in elite controllers. However, most HIV cure strategies that rely on expanded HIV-specific CD8+ T cells for virus control are likely to fail due to cellular exhaustion and T FH reservoir-specialized anatomical structures that isolate HIV-specific CD8+ T cell entry into B-cell follicles. Loss of stem-like memory properties is a key feature of exhaustion. Recent studies have found that CXC chemokine receptor type 5 (CXCR5)-expressing HIV-specific CD8+ T cells are memory-like CD8+ T cells that can migrate into B-cell follicles to execute inhibition of viral replication. Furthermore, these unique CD8+ T cells can respond to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy. In this review, we discuss the functions of these CD8+ T cells as well as the translation of findings into viable HIV treatment and cure strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leiqiong Gao
- Microbiome Medicine Center, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jing Zhou
- Institute of Immunology, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Lilin Ye
- Institute of Immunology, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
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Xufré C, González T, Leal L, Trubey CM, Lifson JD, Gatell JM, Alcamí J, Climent N, García F, Sánchez-Palomino S. Highly Efficient Autologous HIV-1 Isolation by Coculturing Macrophage With Enriched CD4 + T Cells From HIV-1 Patients. FRONTIERS IN VIROLOGY (LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 2:869431. [PMID: 35967461 PMCID: PMC9364968 DOI: 10.3389/fviro.2022.869431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
We described a novel HIV autologous isolation method based in coculturing macrophages and CD4+T-cell-enriched fractions from peripheral blood collected from antiretroviral-treated (ART) HIV patients. This method allows the isolation of high viral titers of autologous viruses, over 1010HIV RNA copies/ml, and reduces the time required to produce necessary amounts for virus for use as antigens presented by monocyte-derived myeloid cells in HIV therapeutic vaccine approaches. By applying these high titer and autologous virus produced in the patient-derived cells, we intended to elicit a boost of the immunological system response in HIV therapeutic vaccines in clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Xufré
- AIDS Research Group, Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Tanía González
- AIDS Research Group, Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red (CIBER) of Infectious Diseases, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas, (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Lorna Leal
- AIDS Research Group, Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Infectious Diseases Service, Hospital Clinic, Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Charles M. Trubey
- AIDS and Cancer Virus Program Inc., Frederick National Laboratory, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Jeffrey D. Lifson
- AIDS and Cancer Virus Program Inc., Frederick National Laboratory, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - José María Gatell
- AIDS Research Group, Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - José Alcamí
- AIDS Research Group, Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red (CIBER) of Infectious Diseases, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas, (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- AIDS Immunopathology Unit, National Center of Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Núria Climent
- AIDS Research Group, Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red (CIBER) of Infectious Diseases, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas, (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Felipe García
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red (CIBER) of Infectious Diseases, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas, (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Infectious Diseases Service, Hospital Clinic, Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sonsoles Sánchez-Palomino
- AIDS Research Group, Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red (CIBER) of Infectious Diseases, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas, (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
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5
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Leal L, Couto E, Sánchez-Palomino S, Climent N, Fernández I, Miralles L, Romero Y, González T, Maleno MJ, Paño B, Pich J, Nicolau C, Gatell JM, Plana M, García F. Effect of Intranodally Administered Dendritic Cell-Based HIV Vaccine in Combination With Pegylated Interferon α-2a on Viral Control Following ART Discontinuation: A Phase 2A Randomized Clinical Trial. Front Immunol 2021; 12:767370. [PMID: 34858423 PMCID: PMC8632026 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.767370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Functional cure has been proposed as an alternative to lifelong antiretroviral therapy and therapeutic vaccines represent one of the most promising approaches. Materials and Methods We conducted a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial to evaluate the safety, immunogenicity, and effect on viral dynamics of a therapeutic vaccine produced with monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MD-DC) loaded with a high dose of heat-inactivated autologous (HIA) HIV-1 in combination with pegylated interferon alpha 2a (IFNα-2a) in people with chronic HIV-1. Results Twenty-nine male individuals on successful ART and with CD4+ ≥450 cells/mm3 were randomized 1:1:1:1 to receive three ultrasound-guided inguinal intranodal immunizations, one every 2 weeks: (1) vaccine ~107 MD-DC pulsed with HIA-HIV-1 (1010 HIV RNA copies) (n = 8); (2) vaccine plus three doses of 180 mcg IFNα-2a at weeks 4-6 (n = 6); (3) placebo = saline (n = 7); and (4) placebo plus three doses of 180 mcg IFNα-2a (n = 8). Thereafter, treatment was interrupted (ATI). Vaccines, IFNα-2a, and the administration procedures were safe and well tolerated. All patients' viral load rebounded during the 12-week ATI period. According to groups, changes in viral set-point between pre-ART and during ATI were not significant. When comparing all groups, there was a tendency in changes in viral set-point between the vaccine group vs. vaccine + IFNα-2a group (>0.5log10 p = 0.05). HIV-1-specific T-cell responses (IFN-ƴ Elispot) were higher at baseline in placebo than in the vaccine group (2,259 ± 535 vs. 900 ± 200 SFC/106 PBMC, p = 0.028). A significant difference in the change of specific T-cell responses was only observed at week 4 between vaccine and placebo groups (694 ± 327 vs. 1,718 ± 282 SFC/106 PBMC, p = 0.04). No effect on T-cell responses or changes in viral reservoir were observed after INFα-2a administration. Discussion Results from this study show that intranodally administered DC therapeutic vaccine in combination with IFNα-2a was safe and well-tolerated but had a minimal impact on viral dynamics in HIV-1 chronic infected participants. Clinical Trial Registration (www.ClinicalTrials.gov), identifier NCT02767193.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorna Leal
- Infectious Diseases Department-HIV Unit, Hospital Clínic Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,AIDS and HIV Infection Research Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.,Faculty of Medicine, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Elvira Couto
- Infectious Diseases Department-HIV Unit, Hospital Clínic Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,AIDS and HIV Infection Research Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sonsoles Sánchez-Palomino
- AIDS and HIV Infection Research Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Núria Climent
- AIDS and HIV Infection Research Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Irene Fernández
- Infectious Diseases Department-HIV Unit, Hospital Clínic Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,AIDS and HIV Infection Research Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Laia Miralles
- AIDS and HIV Infection Research Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Yolanda Romero
- Infectious Diseases Department-HIV Unit, Hospital Clínic Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,AIDS and HIV Infection Research Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Tania González
- AIDS and HIV Infection Research Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Maria José Maleno
- AIDS and HIV Infection Research Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Blanca Paño
- Diagnostic Imaging Center (CDI), Hospital Clínic Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Judit Pich
- Clinical Trials Unit (CTU), Hospital Clínic Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carlos Nicolau
- Faculty of Medicine, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Diagnostic Imaging Center (CDI), Hospital Clínic Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - José Maria Gatell
- Infectious Diseases Department-HIV Unit, Hospital Clínic Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,AIDS and HIV Infection Research Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.,Faculty of Medicine, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,ViiV Healthcare, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Montserrat Plana
- AIDS and HIV Infection Research Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.,Faculty of Medicine, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Felipe García
- Infectious Diseases Department-HIV Unit, Hospital Clínic Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,AIDS and HIV Infection Research Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.,Faculty of Medicine, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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Pulmonary Infection Caused by Mycobacterium malmoense in a Chronic HIV-Infected Individual Participating in a Therapeutic Vaccine Trial. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:vaccines9101103. [PMID: 34696211 PMCID: PMC8540527 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9101103] [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: 07/05/2021] [Revised: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
We report a case of Mycobacterium malmoense pulmonary infection and HIV-1 chronic co-infection in a 60-year-old man while participating in an HIV-1 therapeutic vaccine clinical trial and during the analytical treatment interruption. We present clinical and therapeutic features of a complicated M. malmoense pulmonary infection along with discussion of the possible relation to the HIV-1 cure-related interventions.
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Fehér C, Pastor-lbáñez R, Leal L, Plana M, Arnedo M, van den Ham HJ, Andeweg AC, Gruters RA, Díez-Fuertes F, Alcamí J, Aloy P, García F. Association of Transcriptomic Signatures of Inflammatory Response with Viral Control after Dendritic Cell-Based Therapeutic Vaccination in HIV-1 Infected Individuals. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:vaccines9070799. [PMID: 34358215 PMCID: PMC8310264 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9070799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2021] [Revised: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Systems vaccinology has seldomly been used in therapeutic HIV-1 vaccine research. Our aim was to identify early gene ‘signatures’ that predicted virus load control after analytical therapy interruption (ATI) in participants of a dendritic cell-based HIV-1 vaccine trial (DCV2). mRNA and miRNA were extracted from frozen post-vaccination PBMC samples; gene expression was determined by microarray method. In gene set enrichment analysis, responders showed an up-regulation of 14 gene sets (TNF-alpha/NFkB pathway, inflammatory response, the complement system, Il6 and Il2 JAK-STAT signaling, among others) and a down-regulation of 7 gene sets (such as E2F targets or interferon alpha response). The expression of genes regulated by three (miR-223-3p, miR-1183 and miR-8063) of the 9 differentially expressed miRNAs was significantly down-regulated in responders. The deregulation of certain gene sets related to inflammatory processes seems fundamental for viral control, and certain miRNAs may be important in fine-tuning these processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Csaba Fehér
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology, 08028 Barcelona, Spain;
- Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Clinic, IDIBAPS, University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain; (L.L.); (F.D.-F.); (J.A.); (F.G.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Roque Pastor-lbáñez
- Retrovirology and Viral Immunopathology Laboratory, AIDS Research Group, IDIBAPS, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain; (R.P.-l.); (M.P.); (M.A.)
| | - Lorna Leal
- Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Clinic, IDIBAPS, University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain; (L.L.); (F.D.-F.); (J.A.); (F.G.)
- Retrovirology and Viral Immunopathology Laboratory, AIDS Research Group, IDIBAPS, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain; (R.P.-l.); (M.P.); (M.A.)
| | - Montserrat Plana
- Retrovirology and Viral Immunopathology Laboratory, AIDS Research Group, IDIBAPS, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain; (R.P.-l.); (M.P.); (M.A.)
| | - Mireia Arnedo
- Retrovirology and Viral Immunopathology Laboratory, AIDS Research Group, IDIBAPS, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain; (R.P.-l.); (M.P.); (M.A.)
| | - Henk-Jan van den Ham
- Department of Viroscience, Erasmus MC, 3000CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands; (H.-J.v.d.H.); (A.C.A.); (R.A.G.)
| | - Arno C. Andeweg
- Department of Viroscience, Erasmus MC, 3000CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands; (H.-J.v.d.H.); (A.C.A.); (R.A.G.)
| | - Rob A. Gruters
- Department of Viroscience, Erasmus MC, 3000CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands; (H.-J.v.d.H.); (A.C.A.); (R.A.G.)
| | - Francisco Díez-Fuertes
- Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Clinic, IDIBAPS, University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain; (L.L.); (F.D.-F.); (J.A.); (F.G.)
- National Center for Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28222 Majadahonda, Spain
| | - José Alcamí
- Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Clinic, IDIBAPS, University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain; (L.L.); (F.D.-F.); (J.A.); (F.G.)
- National Center for Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28222 Majadahonda, Spain
| | - Patrick Aloy
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology, 08028 Barcelona, Spain;
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, 08010 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Felipe García
- Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Clinic, IDIBAPS, University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain; (L.L.); (F.D.-F.); (J.A.); (F.G.)
- Retrovirology and Viral Immunopathology Laboratory, AIDS Research Group, IDIBAPS, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain; (R.P.-l.); (M.P.); (M.A.)
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Common pathogen-associated molecular patterns induce the hyper-activation of NLRP3 inflammasome in circulating B lymphocytes of HIV-infected individuals. AIDS 2021; 35:899-910. [PMID: 33821820 DOI: 10.1097/qad.0000000000002833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Despite the antiretroviral treatment, people with HIV (PWH) still experience systemic chronic inflammation and immune-senescence, which represent risk factors for severe comorbidities and inefficient response to pathogens and vaccines. Given the dysregulation of NLRP3 inflammasome in PWH and the recently demonstrated role played by NLRP3 in B lymphocytes, we hypothesized that NLRP3 dysregulation in B cells can contribute to chronic inflammation and humoral dysfunction in PWH. DESIGN NLRP3 inflammasome activation was evaluated in B lymphocytes and correlated with antibodies production and immunization response in PWH. METHODS NLRP3 inflammasome activation was compared in B lymphocytes isolated from PWH and healthy donors, in resting and stimulated conditions. Functional polymorphic variants in NLRP3 and IL1B genes were analysed in a cohort of PWH submitted to anti-HBV vaccine to assess the effect of NLRP3 inflammasome on humoral response. RESULTS The NLRP3 inflammasome activation in response to common PAMPs (LPS, ß-glucan) resulted higher in B lymphocytes of PWH than in HD. CpG-induced IgM secretion was also increased in B cells of PWH. NLRP3, but not IL1B, gain-of-function polymorphism associated to anti-HBs levels. CONCLUSION These data reveal the dysregulation of NLRP3 inflammasome in B lymphocytes of PWH. Differently from myeloid compartment, which present an exhausted NLRP3 inflammasome, the complex appears to be hyper-activated in B cells of PWH, likely contributing to chronic inflammation and affecting humoral response.
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Esteban I, Pastor-Quiñones C, Usero L, Plana M, García F, Leal L. In the Era of mRNA Vaccines, Is There Any Hope for HIV Functional Cure? Viruses 2021; 13:501. [PMID: 33803790 PMCID: PMC8003302 DOI: 10.3390/v13030501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Revised: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Over 36 million people worldwide are infected with HIV. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has proven to be highly effective to prevent HIV-1 transmission, clinical progression and death. Despite this success, the number of HIV-1 infected individuals continues increasing and ART should be taken for life. Therefore, there are two main priorities: the development of preventive vaccines to protect from HIV acquisition and achieve an efficient control of HIV infection in the absence of ART (functional cure). In this sense, in the last few years, there has been a broad interest in new and innovative approaches such as mRNA-based vaccines. RNA-based immunogens represent a promising alternative to conventional vaccines because of their high potency, capacity for rapid development and potential for low-cost manufacture and safe administration. Some mRNA-based vaccines platforms against infectious diseases have demonstrated encouraging results in animal models and humans. However, their application is still limited because the instability and inefficient in vivo delivery of mRNA. Immunogens, design, immunogenicity, chemical modifications on the molecule or the vaccine delivery methods are all crucial interventions for improvement. In this review we, will present the current knowledge and challenges in this research field. mRNA vaccines hold great promises as part of a combined strategy, for achieving HIV functional cure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ignasi Esteban
- Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), 08036 Barcelona, Spain; (I.E.); (C.P.-Q.); (L.U.); (M.P.); (F.G.)
| | - Carmen Pastor-Quiñones
- Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), 08036 Barcelona, Spain; (I.E.); (C.P.-Q.); (L.U.); (M.P.); (F.G.)
| | - Lorena Usero
- Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), 08036 Barcelona, Spain; (I.E.); (C.P.-Q.); (L.U.); (M.P.); (F.G.)
| | - Montserrat Plana
- Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), 08036 Barcelona, Spain; (I.E.); (C.P.-Q.); (L.U.); (M.P.); (F.G.)
| | - Felipe García
- Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), 08036 Barcelona, Spain; (I.E.); (C.P.-Q.); (L.U.); (M.P.); (F.G.)
- Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Clínic, University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lorna Leal
- Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), 08036 Barcelona, Spain; (I.E.); (C.P.-Q.); (L.U.); (M.P.); (F.G.)
- Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Clínic, University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
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10
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Shabani SH, Kardani K, Milani A, Bolhassani A. In Silico and in Vivo Analysis of HIV-1 Rev Regulatory Protein for Evaluation of a Multiepitope-based Vaccine Candidate. Immunol Invest 2021; 51:1-28. [PMID: 33416004 DOI: 10.1080/08820139.2020.1867163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
In silico-designed multiepitope conserved regions of human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) proteins would be a beneficial strategy for antigen design which induces effective anti-HIV-1 T-cell responses. The conserved multiple HLA-DR-binding epitopes of Rev protein were identified using IEDB MHC-I prediction tools and SYFPEITHI webserver to screen potential T-cell epitopes. We analyzed toxicity, allergenicity, immunogenicity, hemolytic activity, cross-reactivity, cell-penetrating peptide (CPP) potency, and molecular docking of the candidate epitopes using several immune-informatics tools. Afterward, we designed a novel multiepitope construct based on non-toxic and non-allergenic Rev, Nef, Gp160 and P24-derived cytotoxic T cell (CTL) and T-helper cell (HTL) epitopes. Next, the designed construct (Nef-Rev-Gp160-P24) was subjected to three B-cell epitope prediction webservers, ProtParam and Protein-Sol to obtain the physicochemical features. Then, the recombinant multiepitope DNA and polypeptide constructs were complexed with different CPPs for nanoparticle formation and pass them via the cell membranes. Finally, the immunogenicity of multiepitope constructs in a variety of modalities was evaluated in mice. The results demonstrated that groups immunized with heterologous DNA+ MPG or HR9 CPP prime/rNef-Rev-Gp160-P24 polypeptide + LDP-NLS CPP boost regimens could significantly produce higher levels of IFN-γ and Granzyme B, and lower amounts of IL-10 than other groups. Moreover, higher levels of IgG2a and IgG2b were observed in all heterologous prime-boost regimens than homologous DNA or polypeptide regimens. Altogether, the present findings indicated that the Nef-Rev-Gp160-P24 polypeptide meets the criteria to be potentially useful as a multiepitope-based vaccine candidate against HIV-1 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samaneh H Shabani
- Department of Hepatitis and AIDS, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Kimia Kardani
- Department of Hepatitis and AIDS, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Alireza Milani
- 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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11
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Davoodi S, Bolhassani A, Namazi F. In vivo delivery of a multiepitope peptide and Nef protein using novel cell-penetrating peptides for development of HIV-1 vaccine candidate. Biotechnol Lett 2021; 43:547-559. [PMID: 33386500 PMCID: PMC7775797 DOI: 10.1007/s10529-020-03060-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES A potent HIV vaccine should overcome some limitations such as polymorphism of human HLA, the diversity of HIV-1 virus, and the lack of an effective delivery system. In this study, a DNA construct encoding Nef60-84, Nef126-144, Vpr34-47, Vpr60-75, Gp16030-53, Gp160308-323, and P248-151 epitopes was designed using bioinformatics tools. The pcDNA3.1-nef-vpr-gp160-p24 and pcDNA3.1-nef constructs were prepared in large scale as endotoxin-free form. Moreover, the recombinant Nef-Vpr-Gp160-p24 polypeptide and Nef protein were generated inE. coli. These constructs were delivered using cell penetrating peptides (CPPs) in vivo, and immune responses were assessed for different modalities in BALB/c mice. RESULTS The recombinant DNA constructs were confirmed as the ~ 867 bp and ~ 648 bp bands related tonef-vpr-gp160-p24 andnef genes on agarose gel. Moreover, the purified Nef-Vpr-Gp160-p24 polypeptide and Nef protein showed the ~ 32 kDa and ~ 30 kDa bands on SDS-PAGE, respectively. The results of immune responses indicated that the heterologous prime/boost regimens using both Nef-Vpr-Gp160-P24 and Nef antigens induced significantly the secretion of IgG2a, IgG2b, IFN-γ and Granzyme B compared to other groups. The levels of Granzyme B in mice immunized with Nef antigen were higher than those immunized with Nef-Vpr-Gp160-P24 antigen. The CPPs showed the same potency with Montanide adjuvant for eliciting immune responses. CONCLUSIONS The heterologous prime/boost regimens for both antigens could significantly direct immune responses toward Th1 and CTL activity compared to other regimens. Comparing the efficiency of Nef-Vpr-Gp160-P24 and Nef constructs, the Nef-Vpr-Gp160-P24 constructs delivered by CPPs showed promising results as an HIV vaccine candidate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saba Davoodi
- Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Azam Bolhassani
- Department of Hepatitis and AIDS, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Fatemeh Namazi
- Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
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12
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D'haese S, Lacroix C, Garcia F, Plana M, Ruta S, Vanham G, Verrier B, Aerts JL. Off the beaten path: Novel mRNA-nanoformulations for therapeutic vaccination against HIV. J Control Release 2020; 330:1016-1033. [PMID: 33181204 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2020.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Revised: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Over the last few years, immunotherapy for HIV in general and therapeutic vaccination in particular, has received a tremendous boost, both in preclinical research and in clinical applications. This interest is based on the evidence that the immune system plays a crucial role in controlling HIV infection, as shown for long-term non-progressors and elite controllers, and that immune responses can be manipulated towards targeting conserved epitopes. So far, the most successful approach has been vaccination with autologous dendritic cells (DCs) loaded ex vivo with antigens and activation signals. Although this approach offers much promise, it also comes with significant drawbacks such as the requirement of a specialized infrastructure and expertise, as well as major challenges for logistics and storage, making it extremely time consuming and costly. Therefore, methods are being developed to avoid the use of ex vivo generated, autologous DCs. One of these methods is based on mRNA for therapeutic vaccination. mRNA has proven to be a very promising vaccine platform, as the coding information for any desired protein, including antigens and activation signals, can be generated in a very short period of time, showing promise both as an off-the-shelf therapy and as a personalized approach. However, an important drawback of this approach is the short half-life of native mRNA, due to the presence of ambient RNases. In addition, proper immunization requires that the antigens are expressed, processed and presented at the right immunological site (e.g. the lymphoid tissues). An ambivalent aspect of mRNA as a vaccine is its capacity to induce type I interferons, which can have beneficial adjuvant effects, but also deleterious effects on mRNA stability and translation. Thus, proper formulation of the mRNA is crucially important. Many approaches for RNA formulation have already been tested, with mixed success. In this review we discuss the state-of-the-art and future trends for mRNA-nanoparticle formulations for HIV vaccination, both in the prophylactic and in the therapeutic setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sigrid D'haese
- Neuro-Aging & Viro-Immunotherapy (NAVI), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Céline Lacroix
- Institute for the Biology and Chemistry of Proteins (IBCP), Lyon, France
| | | | | | - Simona Ruta
- Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Stefan S. Nicolau Institute of Virology, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Guido Vanham
- Institute of Tropical Medicine and University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Bernard Verrier
- Institute for the Biology and Chemistry of Proteins (IBCP), Lyon, France
| | - Joeri L Aerts
- Neuro-Aging & Viro-Immunotherapy (NAVI), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium.
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A Classifier to Predict Viral Control After Antiretroviral Treatment Interruption in Chronic HIV-1-Infected Patients. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2020; 83:479-485. [PMID: 31904703 DOI: 10.1097/qai.0000000000002281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To construct a classifier that predicts the probability of viral control after analytical treatment interruptions (ATI) in HIV research trials. METHODS Participants of a dendritic cell-based therapeutic vaccine trial (DCV2) constituted the derivation cohort. One of the primary endpoints of DCV2 was the drop of viral load (VL) set point after 12 weeks of ATI (delta VL12). We classified cases as "controllers" (delta VL12 > 1 log10 copies/mL, n = 12) or "noncontrollers" (delta VL12 < 0.5 log10 copies/mL, n = 10) and compared 190 variables (clinical data, lymphocyte subsets, inflammatory markers, viral reservoir, ELISPOT, and lymphoproliferative responses) between the 2 groups. Naive Bayes classifiers were built from combinations of significant variables. The best model was subsequently validated on an independent cohort. RESULTS Controllers had significantly higher pre-antiretroviral treatment VL [110,250 (IQR 71,968-275,750) vs. 28,600 (IQR 18737-39365) copies/mL, P = 0.003] and significantly lower proportion of some T-lymphocyte subsets than noncontrollers: prevaccination CD4CD45RA+RO+ (1.72% vs. 7.47%, P = 0.036), CD8CD45RA+RO+ (7.92% vs. 15.69%, P = 0.017), CD4+CCR5+ (4.25% vs. 7.40%, P = 0.011), and CD8+CCR5+ (14.53% vs. 27.30%, P = 0.043), and postvaccination CD4+CXCR4+ (12.44% vs. 22.80%, P = 0.021). The classifier based on pre-antiretroviral treatment VL and prevaccine CD8CD45RA+RO+ T cells was the best predictive model (overall accuracy: 91%). In an independent validation cohort of 107 ATI episodes, the model correctly identified nonresponders (negative predictive value = 94%), while it failed to identify responders (positive predictive value = 20%). CONCLUSIONS Our simple classifier could correctly classify those patients with low probability of control of VL after ATI. These data could be helpful for HIV research trial design.
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Moore CL, Stöhr W, Crook AM, Richert L, Leliévre JD, Pantaleo G, García F, Vella S, Lévy Y, Thiébaut R, McCormack S. Multi-arm, multi-stage randomised controlled trials for evaluating therapeutic HIV cure interventions. Lancet HIV 2020; 6:e334-e340. [PMID: 31047670 DOI: 10.1016/s2352-3018(19)30082-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2018] [Revised: 03/12/2019] [Accepted: 03/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The evaluation of immune-based approaches to achieve an antiretroviral therapy free remission of HIV infection requires proven efficacy through antiretroviral therapy interruption placebo-controlled trials. This approach is not without risk to participants and innovative trial designs need to be developed that minimise the number of participants treated with placebo and ineffective candidates. Multi-arm, multi-stage (MAMS) trial designs can be used in this context to accelerate the development of an immune-based therapeutic agent for HIV cure. Issues related to implementing a MAMS design within the planned EHVA T01 trial are considered here. EHVA T01 is a multicentre, MAMS, double-blind, phase 1 and 2 trial that aims to evaluate the effect of immune interventions on viral control in HIV-1 infected participants following analytic treatment interruption. The application of a MAMS design increases the likelihood that the EHVA T01 trial will identify a successful treatment and minimises the number of participants undergoing analytical treatment interruptions who have been treated with futile agents. The use of a MAMS design is a promising strategy to evaluate complex immune-based approaches aimed at curing HIV-infection, particularly relevant to the pipeline with multiple agents requiring examination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia L Moore
- Medical Research Council Clinical Trials Unit, Institute of Clinical Trials and Methodology, University College London, London, UK.
| | - Wolfgang Stöhr
- Medical Research Council Clinical Trials Unit, Institute of Clinical Trials and Methodology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Angela M Crook
- Medical Research Council Clinical Trials Unit, Institute of Clinical Trials and Methodology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Laura Richert
- Vaccine Research Institute, Créteil, France; University of Bordeaux, Inserm, Bordeaux Population Health Research Center, Team SISTM, UMR 1219, and Inria, Bordeaux, France; European Clinical Trials Platform and Development, and French Clinical Research Infrastructure Network, CIC 1401, University of Bordeaux, Inserm, CHU Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Jean-Daniel Leliévre
- Vaccine Research Institute, Créteil, France; INSERM U955, Paris Est Créteil University, Créteil, France
| | - Giuseppe Pantaleo
- Service of Immunology and Allergy, and Swiss Vaccine Research Institute, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Felipe García
- Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona-HIVACAT, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Retrovirology and Viral Immunopathology Laboratory, AIDS Research Group, August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS)-HIVACAT, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Stefano Vella
- Center for Global Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Yves Lévy
- Vaccine Research Institute, Créteil, France; INSERM U955, Paris Est Créteil University, Créteil, France; AP-HP, Hôpital Henri-Mondor Albert-Chenevier, Service d'Immunologie Clinique et Maladies Infectieuses, Créteil, France
| | - Rodolphe Thiébaut
- Vaccine Research Institute, Créteil, France; University of Bordeaux, Inserm, Bordeaux Population Health Research Center, Team SISTM, UMR 1219, and Inria, Bordeaux, France; European Clinical Trials Platform and Development, and French Clinical Research Infrastructure Network, CIC 1401, University of Bordeaux, Inserm, CHU Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Sheena McCormack
- Medical Research Council Clinical Trials Unit, Institute of Clinical Trials and Methodology, University College London, London, UK
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Moretti S, Cafaro A, Tripiciano A, Picconi O, Buttò S, Ensoli F, Sgadari C, Monini P, Ensoli B. HIV therapeutic vaccines aimed at intensifying combination antiretroviral therapy. Expert Rev Vaccines 2020; 19:71-84. [PMID: 31957513 DOI: 10.1080/14760584.2020.1712199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: Although successful at suppressing HIV replication, combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) only partially restores immune functions and fails to reduce the latent HIV reservoir, thus requiring novel interventions for its intensification.Areas covered: Here are reviewed therapeutic vaccine candidates that are being developed to this goal. Among them, the Tat vaccine has been shown to promote immune restoration, including CD4+ T-cell recovery in low immunological responders, and to reduce the virus reservoirs well beyond what achieved with long-term suppressive cART.Expert opinion: The authors propose the Tat vaccine as a promising vaccine candidate for cART intensification toward HIV reservoirs depletion, functional cure, and eradication strategies, suggesting that targeting a key protein in the virus life cycle is pivotal to success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Moretti
- National HIV/AIDS Research Center, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Aurelio Cafaro
- National HIV/AIDS Research Center, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Orietta Picconi
- National HIV/AIDS Research Center, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Buttò
- National HIV/AIDS Research Center, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Ensoli
- Pathology and Microbiology, San Gallicano Dermatological Institute IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Cecilia Sgadari
- National HIV/AIDS Research Center, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Monini
- National HIV/AIDS Research Center, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Barbara Ensoli
- National HIV/AIDS Research Center, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
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16
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Why and where an HIV cure is needed and how it might be achieved. Nature 2019; 576:397-405. [PMID: 31853080 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-019-1841-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2019] [Accepted: 11/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Despite considerable global investment, only 60% of people who live with HIV currently receive antiretroviral therapy. The sustainability of current programmes remains unknown and key incidence rates are declining only modestly. Given the complexities and expenses associated with lifelong medication, developing an effective curative intervention is now a global priority. Here we review why and where a cure is needed, and how it might be achieved. We argue for expanding these efforts from resource-rich regions to sub-Saharan Africa and elsewhere: for any intervention to have an effect, region-specific biological, therapeutic and implementation issues must be addressed.
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17
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Jong WD, Leal L, Buyze J, Pannus P, Guardo A, Salgado M, Mothe B, Molto J, Moron-Lopez S, Gálvez C, Florence E, Vanham G, Gorp EV, Brander C, Allard S, Thielemans K, Martinez-Picado J, Plana M, García F, Gruters RA. Therapeutic Vaccine in Chronically HIV-1-Infected Patients: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Phase IIa Trial with HTI-TriMix. Vaccines (Basel) 2019; 7:E209. [PMID: 31817794 PMCID: PMC6963294 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines7040209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2019] [Revised: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 12/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Therapeutic vaccinations aim to re-educate human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1-specific immune responses to achieve durable control of HIV-1 replication in virally suppressed infected individuals after antiretroviral therapy (ART) is interrupted. In a double blinded, placebo-controlled phase IIa multicenter study, we investigated the safety and immunogenicity of intranodal administration of the HIVACAT T cell Immunogen (HTI)-TriMix vaccine. It consists of naked mRNA based on cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) targets of subdominant and conserved HIV-1 regions (HTI), in combination with mRNAs encoding constitutively active TLR4, the ligand for CD40 and CD70 as adjuvants (TriMix). We recruited HIV-1-infected individuals under stable ART. Study-arms HTI-TriMix, TriMix or Water for Injection were assigned in an 8:3:3 ratio. Participants received three vaccinations at weeks 0, 2, and 4 in an inguinal lymph node. Two weeks after the last vaccination, immunogenicity was evaluated using ELISpot assay. ART was interrupted at week 6 to study the effect of the vaccine on viral rebound. The vaccine was considered safe and well tolerated. Eighteen percent (n = 37) of the AEs were considered definitely related to the study product (grade 1 or 2). Three SAEs occurred: two were unrelated to the study product, and one was possibly related to ART interruption (ATI). ELISpot assays to detect T cell responses using peptides covering the HTI sequence showed no significant differences in immunogenicity between groups. There were no significant differences in viral load rebound dynamics after ATI between groups. The vaccine was safe and well tolerated. We were not able to demonstrate immunogenic effects of the vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wesley de Jong
- Department of Viroscience, Erasmus MC, 3015 Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Lorna Leal
- Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Clínic-HIVACAT, University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS)-HIVACAT, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jozefien Buyze
- Clinical trials unit, Clinical Sciences Department, Institute of Tropical Medicine of Antwerp, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Pieter Pannus
- Virology Unit, Biomedical Sciences Department, Institute of Tropical Medicine of Antwerp, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Alberto Guardo
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS)-HIVACAT, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Maria Salgado
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute- HIVACAT, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, 08916 Badalona, Spain
| | - Beatriz Mothe
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute- HIVACAT, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, 08916 Badalona, Spain
- Fundació Lluita contra la Sida, Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, 08916 Badalona, Spain
- University of Vic - Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), 085000 Vic, Spain
| | - Jose Molto
- Fundació Lluita contra la Sida, Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, 08916 Badalona, Spain
| | - Sara Moron-Lopez
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute- HIVACAT, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, 08916 Badalona, Spain
| | - Cristina Gálvez
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute- HIVACAT, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, 08916 Badalona, Spain
| | - Eric Florence
- Virology Unit, Biomedical Sciences Department, Institute of Tropical Medicine of Antwerp, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Guido Vanham
- Virology Unit, Biomedical Sciences Department, Institute of Tropical Medicine of Antwerp, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Eric van Gorp
- Department of Viroscience, Erasmus MC, 3015 Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Erasmus MC, 3015 Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Christian Brander
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute- HIVACAT, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, 08916 Badalona, Spain
- University of Vic - Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), 085000 Vic, Spain
- Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), 08010 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sabine Allard
- Department of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Kris Thielemans
- eTheRNA, BVBA (eTheRNA), 2845 Niel, Belgium
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Therapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), 1090 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Javier Martinez-Picado
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute- HIVACAT, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, 08916 Badalona, Spain
- University of Vic - Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), 085000 Vic, Spain
- eTheRNA, BVBA (eTheRNA), 2845 Niel, Belgium
| | - Montserrat Plana
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS)-HIVACAT, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Felipe García
- Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Clínic-HIVACAT, University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS)-HIVACAT, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rob A Gruters
- Department of Viroscience, Erasmus MC, 3015 Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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Design and in vitro delivery of HIV-1 multi-epitope DNA and peptide constructs using novel cell-penetrating peptides. Biotechnol Lett 2019; 41:1283-1298. [PMID: 31531750 DOI: 10.1007/s10529-019-02734-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2019] [Accepted: 09/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Developing an effective HIV vaccine that stimulates the humoral and cellular immune responses is still challenging because of the diversity of HIV-1 virus, polymorphism of human HLA and lack of a suitable delivery system. RESULTS Using bioinformatics tools, we designed a DNA construct encoding multiple epitopes. These epitopes were highly conserved within prevalent HIV-1 subtypes and interacted with prevalent class I and II HLAs in Iran and the world. The designed DNA construct included Nef60-84, Nef126-144, Vpr34-47, Vpr60-75, Gp16030-53, Gp160308-323 and P248-151 epitopes (i.e., nef-vpr-gp160-p24 DNA) which was cloned into pET-24a(+) and pEGFP-N1 vectors. The recombinant polyepitope peptide (rNef-Vpr-Gp160-P24; ~ 32 kDa) was successfully generated in E. coli expression system. The pEGFP-nef-vpr-gp160-p24 and rNef-Vpr-Gp160-P24 polyepitope peptide were delivered into HEK-293 T cells using cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs). The MPG and HR9 CPPs, as well as the novel LDP-NLS and CyLoP-1 CPPs, were utilized for DNA and peptide delivery into the cells, respectively. SEM results confirmed the formation of stable MPG/pEGFP-N1-nef-vpr-gp160-p24, HR9/pEGFP-N1-nef-vpr-gp160-p24, LDP-NLS/rNef-Vpr-Gp160-P24 and CyLoP-1/rNef-Vpr-Gp160-P24 nanoparticles with a diameter of < 200 nm through non-covalent bonds. MTT assay results indicated that these nanoparticles did not have any major toxicity in vitro. Fluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry and western blot data demonstrated that these CPPs could significantly deliver the DNA and peptide constructs into HEK-293 T cells. CONCLUSION The use of these CPPs can be considered as an approach in HIV vaccine development for in vitro and in vivo delivery of DNA and peptide constructs into mammalian cells.
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19
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de Jong W, Aerts J, Allard S, Brander C, Buyze J, Florence E, van Gorp E, Vanham G, Leal L, Mothe B, Thielemans K, Plana M, Garcia F, Gruters R. iHIVARNA phase IIa, a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded trial to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of iHIVARNA-01 in chronically HIV-infected patients under stable combined antiretroviral therapy. Trials 2019; 20:361. [PMID: 31208472 PMCID: PMC6580477 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-019-3409-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2017] [Accepted: 05/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND HIV therapeutic vaccination aims to improve the immune responses against HIV in order to control viral replication without the need for combined antiretroviral therapy (cART). iHIVARNA-01 is a novel vaccine combining mRNA delivery and T-cell immunogen (HTI) based on conserved targets of effective antiviral T-cell responses. In addition, it holds adequate stimuli required for activating antigen presenting cells (APC)s and co-activating specific T-cells (TriMix), including human CD40L, constitutively active TLR4 (caTLR4) and CD70. We propose that in-vivo targeting of dendritic cells (DCs) by direct administration of a HIV mRNA encoding these immune modulating proteins might be an attractive alternative to target DCs in vitro. METHODS/DESIGN This is a phase-IIa, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, multicenter study in chronically HIV-1 infected patients under stable cART. One of the three study arms is randomly allocated to subjects. Three vaccinations with either HIVACAT T-cell immunogen (HTI)-TriMix (iHIVARNA-01), TriMix or water for injection (WFI) (weeks 0, 2 and 4) are administered by intranodal injection in the inguinal region. Two weeks after the last immunization (week 6) cART is stopped for 12 weeks. The two primary endpoints are: (1) safety and tolerability of intranodal iHIVARNA-01 vaccination compared with TriMix or WFI and (2) induced immunogenicity, i.e., increase in the frequency of HIV-specific T-cell responses between baseline, week 6 and 12 weeks after treatment interruption in iHIVARNA-01-treated patients as compared to the control groups, immunized with TriMix-mRNA or WFI measured by an IFNγ ELISPOT assay. Secondary endpoints include the evaluation of time to viral rebound, plasma viral load (pVL) at w18, the proportion of patients with control of viral load, induction of T-cell responses to new HIV epitopes, polyfunctionality of HIV-specific T-cells, CD8+ T-cell in-vitro HIV suppressive capacity, the effect on viral reservoir (measured by proviral DNA and cell-associated RNA), assessment of viral immune escape by mutation and mRNA expression profiles of host immune genes. DISCUSSION This trial aims to direct target DC in situ with mRNA encoding HTI and TriMix for co-stimulation. Intranodal injection circumvents laborious DC isolation and handling in the laboratory. The trial extends on the safety results of a phase-I dose-escalating trial. This candidate vaccine could complement or even replace cART for chronic HIV infection and could be applicable to improve the care and cost of HIV infection. TRIAL REGISTRATION EudraCT 2016-002724-83 (22 September 2016); ClinicalTrials.gov, ID: NCT02888756 . Registered on 23 August 2016.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wesley de Jong
- Department of Viroscience, Erasmus MC, Room Ee-1726, P.O. Box 2040, 3000, CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Joeri Aerts
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Therapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sabine Allard
- Department of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Christian Brander
- Infectious Diseases Unit, IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain.,Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain.,AELIX Therapeutics, Parc Científic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,University of Vic - Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), Vic, Spain
| | - Jozefien Buyze
- Virology Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine and, Antwerp, Belgium.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Eric Florence
- Virology Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine and, Antwerp, Belgium.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Eric van Gorp
- Department of Viroscience, Erasmus MC, Room Ee-1726, P.O. Box 2040, 3000, CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Guido Vanham
- Virology Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine and, Antwerp, Belgium.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Lorna Leal
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Villarroel, 170, 08036, Barcelona, Spain.,Infectious Diseases Unit, Hospital Clínic, Villarroel, 170, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Beatriz Mothe
- Infectious Diseases Unit, IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain.,University of Vic - Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), Vic, Spain
| | - Kris Thielemans
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Therapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Montse Plana
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Villarroel, 170, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Félipe Garcia
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Villarroel, 170, 08036, Barcelona, Spain. .,Infectious Diseases Unit, Hospital Clínic, Villarroel, 170, 08036, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Rob Gruters
- Department of Viroscience, Erasmus MC, Room Ee-1726, P.O. Box 2040, 3000, CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
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20
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Davoodi S, Bolhassani A, Sadat SM, Irani S. Enhancing HIV-1 Nef Penetration into Mammalian Cells as an Antigen Candidate. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2019. [DOI: 10.29252/jommid.7.1.2.37] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
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21
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Coolen AL, Lacroix C, Mercier-Gouy P, Delaune E, Monge C, Exposito JY, Verrier B. Poly(lactic acid) nanoparticles and cell-penetrating peptide potentiate mRNA-based vaccine expression in dendritic cells triggering their activation. Biomaterials 2018; 195:23-37. [PMID: 30610991 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2018.12.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2018] [Revised: 12/17/2018] [Accepted: 12/18/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Messenger RNA-based vaccines have the potential to trigger robust cytotoxic immune responses, which are essential for fighting cancer and infectious diseases like HIV. Dendritic Cells (DCs) are choice targets for mRNA-based vaccine strategies, as they link innate and adaptive immune responses and are major regulators of cytotoxic and humoral adaptive responses. However, efficient delivery of antigen-coding mRNAs into DC cytosol has been highly challenging. In this study, we developed an alternative to lipid-based mRNA delivery systems, using poly(lactic acid) nanoparticles (PLA-NPs) and cationic cell-penetrating peptides as mRNA condensing agent. The formulations are assembled in two steps: (1) formation of a polyplex between mRNAs and amphipathic cationic peptides (RALA, LAH4 or LAH4-L1), and (2) adsorption of polyplexes onto PLA-NPs. LAH4-L1/mRNA polyplexes and PLA-NP/LAH4-L1/mRNA nanocomplexes are taken up by DCs via phagocytosis and clathrin-dependent endocytosis, and induce strong protein expression in DCs in vitro. They modulate DC innate immune response by activating both endosome and cytosolic Pattern Recognition Receptors (PRRs), and induce markers of adaptive responses in primary human DCs in vitro, with prevalent Th1 signature. Thus, LAH4-L1/mRNA and PLA-NP/LAH4-L1/mRNA represent a promising platform for ex vivo treatment and mRNA vaccine development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Line Coolen
- Laboratoire de Biologie Tissulaire et d'Ingénierie Thérapeutique, UMR 5305, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, IBCP, Lyon, France
| | - Céline Lacroix
- Laboratoire de Biologie Tissulaire et d'Ingénierie Thérapeutique, UMR 5305, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, IBCP, Lyon, France
| | - Perrine Mercier-Gouy
- Laboratoire de Biologie Tissulaire et d'Ingénierie Thérapeutique, UMR 5305, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, IBCP, Lyon, France
| | - Emilie Delaune
- Laboratoire de Biologie Tissulaire et d'Ingénierie Thérapeutique, UMR 5305, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, IBCP, Lyon, France
| | - Claire Monge
- Laboratoire de Biologie Tissulaire et d'Ingénierie Thérapeutique, UMR 5305, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, IBCP, Lyon, France
| | - Jean-Yves Exposito
- Laboratoire de Biologie Tissulaire et d'Ingénierie Thérapeutique, UMR 5305, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, IBCP, Lyon, France
| | - Bernard Verrier
- Laboratoire de Biologie Tissulaire et d'Ingénierie Thérapeutique, UMR 5305, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, IBCP, Lyon, France.
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22
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Santillo BT, Reis DDS, da Silva LT, Romani NT, Duarte AJDS, Oshiro TM. Phenotypic and functional profile of IFN-α-differentiated dendritic cells (IFN-DCs) from HIV-infected individuals. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2018; 15:2140-2149. [PMID: 30427745 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2018.1547603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Dendritic cell (DC)-based immunotherapy is a promising strategy for the treatment of HIV-infected individuals. Different from the conventional protocol for DC differentiation based on the cytokine IL-4 (IL4-DCs), several studies have suggested obtaining DCs by culturing monocytes with type I IFN (IFN-α) to yield IFN-DCs, as performed in cancer therapy. To evaluate the phenotypic and functional characteristics, monocytes from HIV-infected subjects were differentiated into IFN-DCs or IL4-DCs, pulsed with chemically inactivated HIV and stimulated with pro-inflammatory cytokines. A comparative analysis between both types of monocyte-derived DCs (MoDCs) showed that immature IFN-DCs were phenotypically distinct from immature IL4-DCs at the baseline of differentiation, presenting a pre-activated profile. From the functional profile, we determined that IFN-DCs were capable of producing the cytokine IL-12 p70 and of inducing the production of IFN-γ by CD4 + T lymphocytes but not by TCD8+ lymphocytes. Our results suggest that IFN-DCs derived from HIV-infected individuals are able to recognize and present viral antigens to induce TCD4+ cellular immunity to HIV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruna Tereso Santillo
- Laboratório de Dermatologia e Imunodeficiências LIM56, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo , Sao Paulo , SP , Brazil.,Departamento de Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo , Sao Paulo , SP , Brazil
| | - Denise da Silva Reis
- Laboratório de Dermatologia e Imunodeficiências LIM56, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo , Sao Paulo , SP , Brazil.,Departamento de Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo , Sao Paulo , SP , Brazil
| | - Laís Teodoro da Silva
- Laboratório de Dermatologia e Imunodeficiências LIM56, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo , Sao Paulo , SP , Brazil
| | - Nathalia Teixeira Romani
- Laboratório de Dermatologia e Imunodeficiências LIM56, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo , Sao Paulo , SP , Brazil
| | - Alberto José da Silva Duarte
- Laboratório de Dermatologia e Imunodeficiências LIM56, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo , Sao Paulo , SP , Brazil
| | - Telma Miyuki Oshiro
- Laboratório de Dermatologia e Imunodeficiências LIM56, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo , Sao Paulo , SP , Brazil
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23
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Leal L, Guardo AC, Morón-López S, Salgado M, Mothe B, Heirman C, Pannus P, Vanham G, van den Ham HJ, Gruters R, Andeweg A, Van Meirvenne S, Pich J, Arnaiz JA, Gatell JM, Brander C, Thielemans K, Martínez-Picado J, Plana M, García F. Phase I clinical trial of an intranodally administered mRNA-based therapeutic vaccine against HIV-1 infection. AIDS 2018; 32:2533-2545. [PMID: 30289805 PMCID: PMC6221380 DOI: 10.1097/qad.0000000000002026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Objective: The efficacy of therapeutic vaccines against HIV-1 infection has been modest. New inerts to redirect responses to vulnerable sites are urgently needed to improve these results. Design: We performed the first-in-human clinical trial with naked mRNA (iHIVARNA) combining a dendritic cell activation strategy (TriMix:CD40L+CD70+caTLR4 RNA) with a novel HIV immunogen sequences (HTI immunogen). Methods: A dose escalation, phase I clinical trial was performed in 21 chronic HIV-1-infected patients under ART who received three intranodal doses of mRNA (weeks 0, 2 and 4) as follow: TriMix-100 g, TriMix-300 g, TriMix-300 g with HTI-300 g, TriMix-300 g with HTI-600 g, TriMix-300 g with HTI-900 g. Primary end-point was safety and secondary-exploratory end-points were immunogenicity, changes in viral reservoir and transcriptome. Results: Overall, the vaccine was secure and well tolerated. There were 31 grade 1/2 and 1 grade 3 adverse events, mostly unrelated to the vaccination. Patients who received the highest dose showed a moderate increase in T-cell responses spanning HTI sequence at week 8. In addition, the proportion of responders receiving any dose of HTI increased from 31% at w0 to 80% postvaccination. The intervention had no impact on caHIV-DNA levels, however, caHIV-RNA expression and usVL were transiently increased at weeks 5 and 6 in the highest dose of iHIVARNA, and these changes were positively correlated with HIV-1-specific-induced immune responses. Conclusion: This phase I dose-escalating trial showed that iHIVARNA administration was safe and well tolerated, induced moderate HIV-specific T-cell responses and transiently increased different viral replication readouts. These data support further exploration of iHIVARNA in a phase II study. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02413645
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24
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Guo Y, Fu L, Fan X, Shi X. Stapled SC34EK fusion inhibitors with high potency against HIV-1 and improved protease resistance. CHINESE CHEM LETT 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cclet.2018.03.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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25
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Scarborough RJ, Gatignol A. RNA Interference Therapies for an HIV-1 Functional Cure. Viruses 2017; 10:E8. [PMID: 29280961 PMCID: PMC5795421 DOI: 10.3390/v10010008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2017] [Revised: 12/20/2017] [Accepted: 12/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
HIV-1 drug therapies can prevent disease progression but cannot eliminate HIV-1 viruses from an infected individual. While there is hope that elimination of HIV-1 can be achieved, several approaches to reach a functional cure (control of HIV-1 replication in the absence of drug therapy) are also under investigation. One of these approaches is the transplant of HIV-1 resistant cells expressing anti-HIV-1 RNAs, proteins or peptides. Small RNAs that use RNA interference pathways to target HIV-1 replication have emerged as competitive candidates for cell transplant therapy and have been included in all gene combinations that have so far entered clinical trials. Here, we review RNA interference pathways in mammalian cells and the design of therapeutic small RNAs that use these pathways to target pathogenic RNA sequences. Studies that have been performed to identify anti-HIV-1 RNA interference therapeutics are also reviewed and perspectives on their use in combination gene therapy to functionally cure HIV-1 infection are provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Scarborough
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Montreal, QC H3T 1E2, Canada.
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A0G4, Canada.
| | - Anne Gatignol
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Montreal, QC H3T 1E2, Canada.
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A0G4, Canada.
- Department of Medicine, Division of Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A0G4, Canada.
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26
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Lima HR, Gasparoto TH, de Souza Malaspina TS, Marques VR, Vicente MJ, Marcos EC, Souza FC, Nogueira MRS, Barreto JA, Garlet GP, da Silva JS, Brito-de-Souza VN, Campanelli AP. Immune Checkpoints in Leprosy: Immunotherapy As a Feasible Approach to Control Disease Progression. Front Immunol 2017; 8:1724. [PMID: 29312289 PMCID: PMC5732247 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.01724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2017] [Accepted: 11/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Leprosy remains a health problem in several countries. Current management of patients with leprosy is complex and requires multidrug therapy. Nonetheless, antibiotic treatment is insufficient to prevent nerve disabilities and control Mycobacterium leprae. Successful infectious disease treatment demands an understanding of the host immune response against a pathogen. Immune-based therapy is an effective treatment option for malignancies and infectious diseases. A promising therapeutic approach to improve the clinical outcome of malignancies is the blockade of immune checkpoints. Immune checkpoints refer to a wide range of inhibitory or regulatory pathways that are critical for maintaining self-tolerance and modulating the immune response. Programmed cell-death protein-1 (PD-1), programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1), cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4, and lymphocyte-activation gene-3 are the most important immune checkpoint molecules. Several pathogens, including M. leprae, are supposed to utilize these mechanisms to evade the host immune response. Regulatory T cells and expression of co-inhibitory molecules on lymphocytes induce specific T-cell anergy/exhaustion, leading to disseminated and progressive disease. From this perspective, we outline how the co-inhibitory molecules PD-1, PD-L1, and Th1/Th17 versus Th2/Treg cells are balanced, how antigen-presenting cell maturation acts at different levels to inhibit T cells and modulate the development of leprosy, and how new interventions interfere with leprosy development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayana Ramos Lima
- Department of Biological Sciences, Bauru School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, Bauru, Brazil
| | - Thaís Helena Gasparoto
- Department of Biological Sciences, Bauru School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, Bauru, Brazil
| | | | - Vinícius Rizzo Marques
- Department of Biological Sciences, Bauru School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, Bauru, Brazil
| | - Marina Jurado Vicente
- Department of Biological Sciences, Bauru School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, Bauru, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | | | - João Santana da Silva
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | | | - Ana Paula Campanelli
- Department of Biological Sciences, Bauru School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, Bauru, Brazil
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