1
|
Jacobson JM, Felber BK, Chen H, Pavlakis GN, Mullins JI, De Rosa SC, Kuritzkes DR, Tomaras GD, Kinslow J, Bao Y, Olefsky M, Rosati M, Bear J, Heptinstall JR, Zhang L, Sawant S, Hannaman D, Laird GM, Cyktor JC, Heath SL, Collier AC, Koletar SL, Taiwo BO, Tebas P, Wohl DA, Belaunzaran-Zamudio PF, McElrath MJ, Landay AL. The immunogenicity of an HIV-1 Gag conserved element DNA vaccine in people with HIV and receiving antiretroviral therapy. AIDS 2024; 38:963-973. [PMID: 38051788 PMCID: PMC11062837 DOI: 10.1097/qad.0000000000003804] [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: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The primary objective of the study was to assess the immunogenicity of an HIV-1 Gag conserved element DNA vaccine (p24CE DNA) in people with HIV (PWH) receiving suppressive antiretroviral therapy (ART). DESIGN AIDS Clinical Trials Group A5369 was a phase I/IIa, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of PWH receiving ART with plasma HIV-1 RNA less than 50 copies/ml, current CD4 + T-cell counts greater than 500 cells/μl, and nadir CD4 + T-cell counts greater than 350 cells/μl. METHODS The study enrolled 45 participants randomized 2 : 1 : 1 to receive p24CE DNA vaccine at weeks 0 and 4, followed by p24CE DNA admixed with full-length p55 Gag DNA vaccine at weeks 12 and 24 (arm A); full-length p55 Gag DNA vaccine at weeks 0, 4, 12, and 24 (arm B); or placebo at weeks 0, 4, 12, and 24 (arm C). The active and placebo vaccines were administered by intramuscular electroporation. RESULTS There was a modest, but significantly greater increase in the number of conserved elements recognized by CD4 + and/or CD8 + T cells in arm A compared with arm C ( P = 0.014). The percentage of participants with an increased number of conserved elements recognized by T cells was also highest in arm A (8/18, 44.4%) vs. arm C (0/10, 0.0%) ( P = 0.025). There were no significant differences between treatment groups in the change in magnitude of responses to total conserved elements. CONCLUSION A DNA-delivered HIV-1 Gag conserved element vaccine boosted by a combination of this vaccine with a full-length p55 Gag DNA vaccine induced a new conserved element-directed cellular immune response in approximately half the treated PWH on ART.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey M Jacobson
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH
| | - Barbara K Felber
- Human Retrovirus Pathogenesis Section, Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, MD
| | - Huichao Chen
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA
| | - George N Pavlakis
- Human Retrovirus Section, Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, MD
| | - James I Mullins
- Departments of Microbiology, Medicine, and Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - Stephen C De Rosa
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA
| | - Daniel R Kuritzkes
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Georgia D Tomaras
- Duke Center for Human Systems Immunology, Departments of Surgery, Immunology, Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Durham, NC
| | - Jennifer Kinslow
- Department of Internal Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL
| | - Yajing Bao
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA
| | | | - Margherita Rosati
- Human Retrovirus Section, Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, MD
| | - Jenifer Bear
- Human Retrovirus Pathogenesis Section, Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, MD
| | - Jack R Heptinstall
- Duke Center for Human Systems Immunology, Departments of Surgery, Immunology, Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Durham, NC
| | - Lu Zhang
- Duke Center for Human Systems Immunology, Departments of Surgery, Immunology, Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Durham, NC
| | - Sheetal Sawant
- Duke Center for Human Systems Immunology, Departments of Surgery, Immunology, Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Durham, NC
| | | | | | - Joshua C Cyktor
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Sonya L Heath
- Division of Infectious Disease, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | - Ann C Collier
- Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - Susan L Koletar
- Division of Infectious Diseases, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
| | - Babafemi O Taiwo
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL
| | - Pablo Tebas
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - David A Wohl
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, The University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Pablo F Belaunzaran-Zamudio
- Contractor, Division of AIDS, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - M Juliana McElrath
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA
| | - Alan L Landay
- Department of Internal Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Hake A, Germann A, de Beer C, Thielen A, Däumer M, Preiser W, von Briesen H, Pfeifer N. Insights to HIV-1 coreceptor usage by estimating HLA adaptation with Bayesian generalized linear mixed models. PLoS Comput Biol 2023; 19:e1010355. [PMID: 38127856 PMCID: PMC10769057 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1010355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The mechanisms triggering the human immunodeficiency virus type I (HIV-1) to switch the coreceptor usage from CCR5 to CXCR4 during the course of infection are not entirely understood. While low CD4+ T cell counts are associated with CXCR4 usage, a predominance of CXCR4 usage with still high CD4+ T cell counts remains puzzling. Here, we explore the hypothesis that viral adaptation to the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) complex, especially to the HLA class II alleles, contributes to the coreceptor switch. To this end, we sequence the viral gag and env protein with corresponding HLA class I and II alleles of a new cohort of 312 treatment-naive, subtype C, chronically-infected HIV-1 patients from South Africa. To estimate HLA adaptation, we develop a novel computational approach using Bayesian generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs). Our model allows to consider the entire HLA repertoire without restricting the model to pre-learned HLA-polymorphisms. In addition, we correct for phylogenetic relatedness of the viruses within the model itself to account for founder effects. Using our model, we observe that CXCR4-using variants are more adapted than CCR5-using variants (p-value = 1.34e-2). Additionally, adapted CCR5-using variants have a significantly lower predicted false positive rate (FPR) by the geno2pheno[coreceptor] tool compared to the non-adapted CCR5-using variants (p-value = 2.21e-2), where a low FPR is associated with CXCR4 usage. Consequently, estimating HLA adaptation can be an asset in predicting not only coreceptor usage, but also an approaching coreceptor switch in CCR5-using variants. We propose the usage of Bayesian GLMMs for modeling virus-host adaptation in general.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Hake
- Research Group Computational Biology, Max Planck Institute for Informatics, Saarbrücken, Germany
- Saarbrücken Graduate School of Computer Science, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Anja Germann
- Main Department Medical Biotechnology, Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Sulzbach, Germany
| | - Corena de Beer
- Division of Medical Virology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
- National Health Laboratory Service, Tygerberg Business Unit, Cape Town, South Africa
| | | | - Martin Däumer
- Institute of Immunology and Genetics, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Preiser
- Division of Medical Virology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
- National Health Laboratory Service, Tygerberg Business Unit, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Hagen von Briesen
- Main Department Medical Biotechnology, Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Sulzbach, Germany
| | - Nico Pfeifer
- Research Group Computational Biology, Max Planck Institute for Informatics, Saarbrücken, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research, Partner Site Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Methods in Medical Informatics, Department of Computer Science, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Yavuz A, Coiffier C, Garapon C, Gurcan S, Monge C, Exposito JY, Arruda DC, Verrier B. DLin-MC3-Containing mRNA Lipid Nanoparticles Induce an Antibody Th2-Biased Immune Response Polarization in a Delivery Route-Dependent Manner in Mice. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:pharmaceutics15031009. [PMID: 36986871 PMCID: PMC10058601 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15031009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
mRNA-based vaccines have made a leap forward since the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and are currently used to develop anti-infectious therapies. If the selection of a delivery system and an optimized mRNA sequence are two key factors to reach in vivo efficacy, the optimal administration route for those vaccines remains unclear. We investigated the influence of lipid components and immunization route regarding the intensity and quality of humoral immune responses in mice. The immunogenicity of HIV-p55Gag encoded mRNA encapsulated into D-Lin-MC3-DMA or GenVoy-ionizable lipid-based LNPs was compared after intramuscular or subcutaneous routes. Three sequential mRNA vaccines were administrated followed by a heterologous boost composed of p24-HIV protein antigen. Despite equivalent IgG kinetic profiles of general humoral responses, IgG1/IgG2a ratio analysis showed a Th2/Th1 balance toward a Th1-biased cellular immune response when both LNPs were administrated via the intramuscular route. Surprisingly, a Th2-biased antibody immunity was observed when DLin-containing vaccine was injected subcutaneously. A protein-based vaccine boost appeared to reverse this balance to a cellular-biased response correlated to an increase in antibody avidity. Our finding suggests that the intrinsic adjuvant effect of ionizable lipids appears to be dependent on the delivery route used, which could be relevant to reach potent and long-lasting immunity after mRNA-based immunization.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Altan Yavuz
- Laboratoire de Biologie Tissulaire et d'Ingénierie Thérapeutique, Institut de Biologie et Chimie des Protéines, UMR 5305, CNRS/Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 7 Passage du Vercors, CEDEX 07, 69367 Lyon, France
| | - Céline Coiffier
- Laboratoire de Biologie Tissulaire et d'Ingénierie Thérapeutique, Institut de Biologie et Chimie des Protéines, UMR 5305, CNRS/Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 7 Passage du Vercors, CEDEX 07, 69367 Lyon, France
| | - Cynthia Garapon
- Laboratoire de Biologie Tissulaire et d'Ingénierie Thérapeutique, Institut de Biologie et Chimie des Protéines, UMR 5305, CNRS/Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 7 Passage du Vercors, CEDEX 07, 69367 Lyon, France
| | - Serra Gurcan
- Precision NanoSystems Inc., 655 West Kent Avenue North Unit 50, Vancouver, BC V6P 6T7, Canada
| | - Claire Monge
- Laboratoire de Biologie Tissulaire et d'Ingénierie Thérapeutique, Institut de Biologie et Chimie des Protéines, UMR 5305, CNRS/Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 7 Passage du Vercors, CEDEX 07, 69367 Lyon, France
| | - Jean-Yves Exposito
- Laboratoire de Biologie Tissulaire et d'Ingénierie Thérapeutique, Institut de Biologie et Chimie des Protéines, UMR 5305, CNRS/Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 7 Passage du Vercors, CEDEX 07, 69367 Lyon, France
| | - Danielle Campiol Arruda
- Laboratoire de Biologie Tissulaire et d'Ingénierie Thérapeutique, Institut de Biologie et Chimie des Protéines, UMR 5305, CNRS/Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 7 Passage du Vercors, CEDEX 07, 69367 Lyon, France
| | - Bernard Verrier
- Laboratoire de Biologie Tissulaire et d'Ingénierie Thérapeutique, Institut de Biologie et Chimie des Protéines, UMR 5305, CNRS/Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 7 Passage du Vercors, CEDEX 07, 69367 Lyon, France
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Impaired protective role of HLA-B*57:01/58:01 in HIV-1 CRF01_AE infection: a cohort study in Vietnam. Int J Infect Dis 2023; 128:20-31. [PMID: 36549550 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2022.12.016] [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: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Human Leukocyte Antigen HLA-B*57:01 and B*58:01 are considered anti-HIV-1 protective alleles. HLA-B*57:01/58:01-restricted HIV-1 Gag TW10 (TSTLQEQIGW, Gag residues 240-249) epitope-specific CD8+ T cell responses that frequently select for a Gag escape mutation, T242N, with viral fitness cost are crucial for HIV-1 control. Although this finding has been observed in cohorts where HIV-1 subtype B or C predominates, the protective impact of HLA-B*57:01/58:01 has not been reported in Southeast Asian countries where HIV-1 CRF01_AE is the major circulating strain. Here, the effect of HLA-B*57:01/58:01 on CRF01_AE infection was investigated. METHODS The correlation of HLA-B*57:01/58:01 with viral load and CD4 counts were analyzed in the CRF01_AE-infected Vietnamese cohort (N = 280). The impact of the T242N mutation on CRF01_AE replication capacity was assessed. RESULTS HLA-B*57:01/58:01-positive individuals mostly had HIV-1 with T242N (62/63) but showed neither a significant reduction in viral load nor increased CD4 counts relative to B*57:01/58:01-negative participants. In vitro and in vivo analyses revealed a significant reduction in viral fitness of CRF01_AE with T242N. In silico analysis indicated reduced presentation of epitopes in the context of CRF01_AE compared to subtype B or C in 10/16 HLA-B*57:01/58:01-restricted HIV-1 epitopes. CONCLUSION The protective impact of HLA-B*57:01/58:01 on CRF01_AE infection is impaired despite strong suppressive pressure by TW10-specific CD8+ T cells.
Collapse
|
5
|
Definition of a New HLA B*52-Restricted Rev CTL Epitope Targeted by an HIV-1-Infected Controller. Viruses 2023; 15:v15020567. [PMID: 36851781 PMCID: PMC9959870 DOI: 10.3390/v15020567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The analysis of T-cell responses in HIV-1-infected controllers may contribute to a better understanding of the protective components of the immune system. Here, we analyzed the HIV-1-specific T-cell response in a 59-year-old HIV-1-infected controller, infected for at least seven years, who presented with low viral loads ranging from <20 copies/mL to 200 copies/mL and normal CD4 counts of >800 cells/µL. In γ-IFN-ELISpot assays using freshly isolated PBMCs, he displayed a very strong polyclonal T-cell response to eight epitopes in Gag, Nef and Rev; with the dominant responses directed against the HLA-B*57-epitope AISPRTLNAW and against a so-far-unknown epitope within Rev. Further analyses using peptide-stimulated T-cell lines in γ-IFN-ELISpot assays delineated the peptide RQRQIRSI (Rev-RI8) as a newly defined HLA-B*52-restricted epitope located within a functionally important region of Rev. Peptide-stimulation assays in 15 HLA-B*52-positive HIV-1-infected subjects, including the controller, demonstrated recognition of the Rev-RI8 epitope in 6/15 subjects. CD4 counts before the start of antiviral therapy were significantly higher in subjects with recognition of the Rev-RI8 epitope. Targeting of the Rev-RI8 epitope in Rev by CTL could contribute to the positive association of HLA-B*52 with a more favorable course of HIV-1-infection.
Collapse
|
6
|
Rosás-Umbert M, Gunst JD, Pahus MH, Olesen R, Schleimann M, Denton PW, Ramos V, Ward A, Kinloch NN, Copertino DC, Escribà T, Llano A, Brumme ZL, Brad Jones R, Mothe B, Brander C, Fox J, Nussenzweig MC, Fidler S, Caskey M, Tolstrup M, Søgaard OS. Administration of broadly neutralizing anti-HIV-1 antibodies at ART initiation maintains long-term CD8 + T cell immunity. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6473. [PMID: 36309514 PMCID: PMC9617872 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34171-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
In simian-human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV)-infected non-human primates, broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) against the virus appear to stimulate T cell immunity. To determine whether this phenomenon also occurs in humans we measured HIV-1-specific cellular immunity longitudinally in individuals with HIV-1 starting antiviral therapy (ART) with or without adjunctive bNAb 3BNC117 treatment. Using the activation-induced marker (AIM) assay and interferon-γ release, we observe that frequencies of Pol- and Gag-specific CD8+ T cells, as well as Gag-induced interferon-γ responses, are significantly higher among individuals that received adjunctive 3BNC117 compared to ART-alone at 3 and 12 months after starting ART. The observed changes in cellular immunity were directly correlated to pre-treatment 3BNC117-sensitivity. Notably, increased HIV-1-specific immunity is associated with partial or complete ART-free virologic control during treatment interruption for up to 4 years. Our findings suggest that bNAb treatment at the time of ART initiation maintains HIV-1-specific CD8+ T cell responses that are associated with ART-free virologic control.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Jesper D Gunst
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Marie H Pahus
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Rikke Olesen
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Mariane Schleimann
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Paul W Denton
- Department of Biology, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Victor Ramos
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Adam Ward
- Infectious Diseases Division, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York, NY, USA
| | - Natalie N Kinloch
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
- British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Dennis C Copertino
- Infectious Diseases Division, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York, NY, USA
| | - Tuixent Escribà
- IrsiCaixa, AIDS Research Institute, Institute for Health Science Research Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Hospital Germans Trias I Pujol, Badalona, Spain
| | - Anuska Llano
- IrsiCaixa, AIDS Research Institute, Institute for Health Science Research Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Hospital Germans Trias I Pujol, Badalona, Spain
| | - Zabrina L Brumme
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
- British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - R Brad Jones
- Infectious Diseases Division, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York, NY, USA
| | - Beatriz Mothe
- IrsiCaixa, AIDS Research Institute, Institute for Health Science Research Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Hospital Germans Trias I Pujol, Badalona, Spain
- CIBERINFEC, ISCIII, Madrid, Spain
- Centre for Health and Social Care Research (CESS), Faculty of Medicine, University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), Vic, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Christian Brander
- IrsiCaixa, AIDS Research Institute, Institute for Health Science Research Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Hospital Germans Trias I Pujol, Badalona, Spain
- Centre for Health and Social Care Research (CESS), Faculty of Medicine, University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), Vic, Barcelona, Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Julie Fox
- Department of Genitourinary Medicine and Infectious Disease, Guys and St Thomas' National Health Service Trust, London, UK
- Department of Genitourinary Medicine and Infectious Disease, The National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Michel C Nussenzweig
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sarah Fidler
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Imperial College London, London, UK
- The National Institute for Health Research, Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, London, UK
| | - Marina Caskey
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Martin Tolstrup
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Ole S Søgaard
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Martins SA, Santos J, Silva RDM, Rosa C, Cabo Verde S, Correia JDG, Melo R. How promising are HIV-1-based virus-like particles for medical applications. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:997875. [PMID: 36275021 PMCID: PMC9585283 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.997875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
New approaches aimed at identifying patient-specific drug targets and addressing unmet clinical needs in the framework of precision medicine are a strong motivation for researchers worldwide. As scientists learn more about proteins that drive known diseases, they are better able to design promising therapeutic approaches to target those proteins. The field of nanotechnology has been extensively explored in the past years, and nanoparticles (NPs) have emerged as promising systems for target-specific delivery of drugs. Virus-like particles (VLPs) arise as auspicious NPs due to their intrinsic properties. The lack of viral genetic material and the inability to replicate, together with tropism conservation and antigenicity characteristic of the native virus prompted extensive interest in their use as vaccines or as delivery systems for therapeutic and/or imaging agents. Owing to its simplicity and non-complex structure, one of the viruses currently under study for the construction of VLPs is the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). Typically, HIV-1-based VLPs are used for antibody discovery, vaccines, diagnostic reagent development and protein-based assays. This review will be centered on the use of HIV-1-based VLPs and their potential biomedical applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sofia A. Martins
- Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias Nucleares, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Joana Santos
- Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias Nucleares, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Rúben D. M. Silva
- Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias Nucleares, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Cátia Rosa
- Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias Nucleares, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Sandra Cabo Verde
- Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias Nucleares, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
- Departamento de Engenharia e Ciências Nucleares, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - João D. G. Correia
- Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias Nucleares, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
- Departamento de Engenharia e Ciências Nucleares, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
- *Correspondence: João D. G. Correia, ; Rita Melo,
| | - Rita Melo
- Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias Nucleares, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
- *Correspondence: João D. G. Correia, ; Rita Melo,
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Immunological studies of spontaneous HIV and simian virus (SIV) controllers have identified virus-specific CD8 + T cells as a key immune mechanism of viral control. The purpose of this review is to consider how knowledge about the mechanisms that are associated with CD8 + T cell control of HIV/SIV in natural infection can be harnessed in HIV remission strategies. RECENT FINDINGS We discuss characteristics of CD8 + T-cell responses that may be critical for suppressing HIV replication in spontaneous controllers comprising HIV antigen recognition including specific human leukocyte antigen types, broadly cross-reactive T cell receptors and epitope targeting, enhanced expansion and antiviral functions, and localization of virus-specific T cells near sites of reservoir persistence. We also discuss the need to better understand the timing of CD8 + T-cell responses associated with viral control of HIV/SIV during acute infection and after treatment interruption as well as the mechanisms by which HIV/SIV-specific CD8 + T cells coordinate with other immune responses to achieve control. SUMMARY We propose implications as to how this knowledge from natural infection can be applied in the design and evaluation of CD8 + T-cell-based remission strategies and offer questions to consider as these strategies target distinct CD8 + T-cell-dependent mechanisms of viral control.
Collapse
|
9
|
Enhanced Cross-Reactive and Polyfunctional Effector-Memory T Cell Responses by ICVAX-a Human PD1-Based Bivalent HIV-1 Gag-p41 Mosaic DNA Vaccine. J Virol 2022; 96:e0216121. [PMID: 35297660 PMCID: PMC9006887 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.02161-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Vaccine-induced protective T cell immunity is necessary for HIV-1 functional cure. We previously reported that rhesus PD1-Gag-based DNA vaccination sustained simian-human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV) suppression by inducing effector-memory CD8+ T cells. Here, we investigated a human PD1-Gag-based DNA vaccine, namely, ICVAX, for clinical translation. PD1-based dendritic cell targeting and mosaic antigenic designs were combined to generate the ICVAX by fusing the human soluble PD1 domain with a bivalent HIV-1 Gag-p41 mosaic antigen. The mosaic antigen was cross-reactive with patients infected with B, CRF07/08_BC, and CRF01_AE variants. In mice, ICVAX elicited stronger, broader, and more polyfunctional T cell responses than mosaic Gag-p41 alone, and suppressed EcoHIV infection more efficiently. In macaques, ICVAX elicited polyfunctional effector-memory T cell responses that targeted multiple nonoverlapping epitopes of the Gag-p41 antigen. Furthermore, ICVAX manufactured following good manufacturing practices proved potent immunogenicity in macaques after biannual homologous vaccination, warranting clinical evaluation of ICVAX as an immunotherapy against HIV-1. IMPORTANCE This study presents that ICVAX, a PD1-based DNA vaccine against HIV-1, could induce broad and polyfunctional T cell responses against different HIV-1 subtypes. ICVAX encodes a recombinant antigen consisting of the human soluble PD1 domain fused with two mosaic Gag-p41 antigens. The mosaic antigens cover more than 500 HIV-1 strains circulating in China including the subtypes B/B’, CRF01_AE, and CRF07/08_BC. In mice, ICVAX elicited stronger, broader, and more polyfunctional T cell responses, with better EcoHIV suppression than the nontargeting mosaic Gag-p41 DNA vaccine. Moreover, both lab-generated and GMP-grade ICVAX also elicited strong polyfunctional effector-memory T cell responses in rhesus macaques with good immunogenicity against multiple nonoverlapping epitopes of the Gag-p41 antigen. This study therefore highlights the great potential to translate the PD1-based DNA vaccine approach into clinical use, and opens up new avenues for alternative HIV-1 vaccine design for HIV-1 preventive and functional cure.
Collapse
|
10
|
Preservation of lymphocyte functional fitness in perinatally-infected and treated HIV+ pediatric patients displaying sub-optimal viral control. COMMUNICATIONS MEDICINE 2022; 2. [PMID: 35434722 PMCID: PMC9012494 DOI: 10.1038/s43856-022-00085-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Host–pathogen dynamics associated with HIV infection are quite distinct in children versus adults. We interrogated the functional fitness of the lymphocyte responses in two cohorts of perinatally infected HIV+ pediatric subjects with early anti-retroviral therapy (ART) initiation but divergent patterns of virologic control. We hypothesized that sub-optimal viral control would compromise immune functional fitness.
Methods
The immune responses in the two HIV+ cohorts (n = 6 in each cohort) were benchmarked against the responses measured in age-range matched, uninfected healthy control subjects (n = 11) by utilizing tests for normality, and comparison [the Kruskal–Wallis test, and the two-tailed Mann–Whitney U test (where appropriate)]. Lymphocyte responses were examined by intra-cellular cytokine secretion, degranulation assays as well as phosflow. A subset of these data were further queried by an automated clustering algorithm. Finally, we evaluated the humoral immune responses to four childhood vaccines in all three cohorts.
Results
We demonstrate that contrary to expectations pediatric HIV+ patients with sub-optimal viral control display no significant deficits in immune functional fitness. In fact, the patients that display better virologic control lack functional Gag-specific T cell responses and compared to healthy controls they display signaling deficits and an enrichment of mitogen-stimulated CD3 negative and positive lymphocyte clusters with suppressed cytokine production.
Conclusions
These results highlight the immune resilience in HIV+ children on ART with sub-optimal viral control. With respect to HIV+ children on ART with better viral control, our data suggest that this cohort might potentially benefit from targeted interventions that might mitigate cell-mediated immune functional quiescence.
Collapse
|
11
|
de Almeida Baptista MV, da Silva LT, Samer S, Oshiro TM, Shytaj IL, Giron LB, Pena NM, Cruz N, Gosuen GC, Ferreira PRA, Cunha-Neto E, Galinskas J, Dias D, Sucupira MCA, de Almeida-Neto C, Salomão R, da Silva Duarte AJ, Janini LM, Hunter JR, Savarino A, Juliano MA, Diaz RS. Immunogenicity of personalized dendritic-cell therapy in HIV-1 infected individuals under suppressive antiretroviral treatment: interim analysis from a phase II clinical trial. AIDS Res Ther 2022; 19:2. [PMID: 35022035 PMCID: PMC8753935 DOI: 10.1186/s12981-021-00426-z] [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: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background We developed a personalized Monocyte-Derived Dendritic-cell Therapy (MDDCT) for HIV-infected individuals on suppressive antiretroviral treatment and evaluated HIV-specific T-cell responses. Methods PBMCs were obtained from 10 HIV+ individuals enrolled in trial NCT02961829. Monocytes were differentiated into DCs using IFN-α and GM-CSF. After sequencing each patient’s HIV-1 Gag and determining HLA profiles, autologous Gag peptides were selected based on the predicted individual immunogenicity and used to pulse MDDCs. Three doses of the MDDCT were administered every 15 days. To assess immunogenicity, patients’ cells were stimulated in vitro with autologous peptides, and intracellular IL-2, TNF, and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) production were measured in CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells. Results The protocol of ex-vivo treatment with IFN-α and GM-CSF was able to induce maturation of MDDCs, as well as to preserve their viability for reinfusion. MDDCT administration was associated with increased expression of IL-2 in CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells at 15 and/or 30 days after the first MDDCT administration. Moreover, intracellular TNF and IFN-γ expression was significantly increased in CD4+ T-cells. The number of candidates that increased in vitro the cytokine levels in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells upon stimulation with Gag peptides from baseline to day 15 and from baseline to day 30 and day 120 after MDDCT was significant as compared to Gag unstimulated response. This was accompanied by an increasing trend in the frequency of polyfunctional T-cells over time, which was visible when considering both cells expressing two and three out of the three cytokines examined. Conclusions MDDC had a mature profile, and this MDDCT promoted in-vitro T-cell immune responses in HIV-infected patients undergoing long-term suppressive antiretroviral treatment. Trial registration NCT02961829: (Multi Interventional Study Exploring HIV-1 Residual Replication: a Step Towards HIV-1 Eradication and Sterilizing Cure, https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02961829, posted November 11th, 2016) Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12981-021-00426-z.
Collapse
|
12
|
Sardo L, Parolin C, Yoshida T, Garzino-Demo A, Izumi T. Editorial: Novel Insights Into a Functional HIV Cure. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:797570. [PMID: 34925307 PMCID: PMC8671826 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.797570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Luca Sardo
- Department of Infectious Disease and Vaccines, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, United States
| | - Cristina Parolin
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Takeshi Yoshida
- Department of Molecular Virology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo, Japan
| | - Alfredo Garzino-Demo
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Human Virology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Taisuke Izumi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Misher College of Arts and Sciences, University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Vieira VA, Adland E, Malone DFG, Martin MP, Groll A, Ansari MA, Garcia-Guerrero MC, Puertas MC, Muenchhoff M, Guash CF, Brander C, Martinez-Picado J, Bamford A, Tudor-Williams G, Ndung’u T, Walker BD, Ramsuran V, Frater J, Jooste P, Peppa D, Carrington M, Goulder PJR. An HLA-I signature favouring KIR-educated Natural Killer cells mediates immune control of HIV in children and contrasts with the HLA-B-restricted CD8+ T-cell-mediated immune control in adults. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1010090. [PMID: 34793581 PMCID: PMC8639058 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural Killer (NK) cells contribute to HIV control in adults, but HLA-B-mediated T-cell activity has a more substantial impact on disease outcome. However, the HLA-B molecules influencing immune control in adults have less impact on paediatric infection. To investigate the contribution NK cells make to immune control, we studied >300 children living with HIV followed over two decades in South Africa. In children, HLA-B alleles associated with adult protection or disease-susceptibility did not have significant effects, whereas Bw4 (p = 0.003) and low HLA-A expression (p = 0.002) alleles were strongly associated with immunological and viral control. In a comparator adult cohort, Bw4 and HLA-A expression contributions to HIV disease outcome were dwarfed by those of protective and disease-susceptible HLA-B molecules. We next investigated the immunophenotype and effector functions of NK cells in a subset of these children using flow cytometry. Slow progression and better plasma viraemic control were also associated with high frequencies of less terminally differentiated NKG2A+NKp46+CD56dim NK cells strongly responsive to cytokine stimulation and linked with the immunogenetic signature identified. Future studies are indicated to determine whether this signature associated with immune control in early life directly facilitates functional cure in children.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vinicius A. Vieira
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- HIV Pathogenesis Programme, Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Emily Adland
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | - Maureen P. Martin
- Basic Science Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD and Laboratory of Integrative Cancer Immunology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Andreas Groll
- Department of Statistics, TU Dortmund University, Dortmund, Germany
| | - M. Azim Ansari
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | - Mari C. Puertas
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Badalona, Spain
- CIBER en Enfermedades Infecciosas, Madrid, Spain
| | - Maximilian Muenchhoff
- Max von Pettenkofer Institute & Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, LMU München, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Claudia Fortuny Guash
- Infectious Diseases and Systemic Inflammatory Response in Pediatrics, Infectious Diseases Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Sant Joan de Déu Hospital Research Foundation, Barcelona, Spain
- Center for Biomedical Network Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Translational Research Network in Pediatric Infectious Diseases (RITIP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Christian Brander
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Badalona, Spain
- CIBER en Enfermedades Infecciosas, Madrid, Spain
- University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), Vic, Spain
- Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Javier Martinez-Picado
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Badalona, Spain
- CIBER en Enfermedades Infecciosas, Madrid, Spain
- University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), Vic, Spain
- Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
- Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Badalona, Spain
| | - Alasdair Bamford
- Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Thumbi Ndung’u
- HIV Pathogenesis Programme, Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
- Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI), Durban, South Africa
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Chariteplatz, Berlin, Germany
- Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Bruce D. Walker
- HIV Pathogenesis Programme, Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
- Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI), Durban, South Africa
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Veron Ramsuran
- School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
- Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - John Frater
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Oxford NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Pieter Jooste
- Department of Paediatrics, Kimberley Hospital, Kimberley, South Africa
| | - Dimitra Peppa
- Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mary Carrington
- Basic Science Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD and Laboratory of Integrative Cancer Immunology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Philip J. R. Goulder
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- HIV Pathogenesis Programme, Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW In this special issue on human immunodeficiency (HIV) cure, we review the role of therapeutic immunization in strategies aimed to eliminate HIV-infected cells and/or mediate sustained control of viral replication in the absence of antiretroviral treatment. RECENT FINDINGS Recent data emerging from studies in simian immunodeficiency virus macaque models using broadly neutralizing antibodies, given alone or in combination with other immunomodulatory agents, as well as data from human clinical studies with novel therapeutic vaccines are showing encouraging results indicating that achieving viral remission or at least partial viral control of HIV without antiretroviral therapy is feasible. SUMMARY Although it remains unclear whether current strategies will be able to awaken a sufficient large fraction of the viral reservoir and/or vaccine-boosted immunity will induce effective, long-lasting viral suppression in chronically infected HIV population, emerging results establish cure strategies that can be further improved upon.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Mothe
- Fundació Lluita Contra La Sida, Infectious Diseases Department
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias I Pujol
- Centre for Health and Social Care Research (CESS), Faculty of Medicine. University of Vic - Central University of Catalonia (UVic - UCC)
| | - Christian Brander
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias I Pujol
- Centre for Health and Social Care Research (CESS), Faculty of Medicine. University of Vic - Central University of Catalonia (UVic - UCC)
- ICREA
- AELIX Therapeutics, Barcelona, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Wong YC, Liu W, Yim LY, Li X, Wang H, Yue M, Niu M, Cheng L, Ling L, Du Y, Chen SMY, Cheung KW, Wang H, Tang X, Tang J, Zhang H, Song Y, Chakrabarti LA, Chen Z. Sustained viremia suppression by SHIVSF162P3CN-recalled effector-memory CD8+ T cells after PD1-based vaccination. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009647. [PMID: 34125864 PMCID: PMC8202916 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
HIV-1 functional cure requires sustained viral suppression without antiretroviral therapy. While effector-memory CD8+ T lymphocytes are essential for viremia control, few vaccines elicit such cellular immunity that could be potently recalled upon viral infection. Here, we investigated a program death-1 (PD1)-based vaccine by fusion of simian immunodeficiency virus capsid antigen to soluble PD1. Homologous vaccinations suppressed setpoint viremia to undetectable levels in vaccinated macaques following a high-dose intravenous challenge by the pathogenic SHIVSF162P3CN. Poly-functional effector-memory CD8+ T cells were not only induced after vaccination, but were also recalled upon viral challenge for viremia control as determined by CD8 depletion. Vaccine-induced effector memory CD8+ subsets displayed high cytotoxicity-related genes by single-cell analysis. Vaccinees with sustained viremia suppression for over two years responded to boost vaccination without viral rebound. These results demonstrated that PD1-based vaccine-induced effector-memory CD8+ T cells were recalled by AIDS virus infection, providing a potential immunotherapy for functional cure. HIV-1/AIDS remains a major global pandemic although treatment regimen has improved. Identifying efficacious vaccines and therapeutics to achieve long-term viral control with very low/undetectable plasma viral loads in the absence of antiretroviral therapy, a status known as functional cure, would be highly beneficial. We previously demonstrated that antigens fused to a soluble program death-1 (PD1) domain could effectively bind and be cross-presented by dendritic cells that constitutively expressed PD1 ligands. When applied in the form of DNA vaccination, this antigen-targeting strategy was highly immunogenic in mice. Here, we investigated the efficacy of the PD1-based DNA vaccine approach against pathogenic simian-human immunodeficiency virus challenge in rhesus monkeys. Our results showed that homologous PD1-based DNA vaccinations induced highly functional effector-memory CD8+ T cells carrying a unique cytotoxicity gene expression profile. These T cells actively supressed viremia in monkeys and were re-activated via boost vaccination at 2 years after viral challenge without viral rebound. In summary, our study demonstrates the potential application of PD1-based DNA vaccination to control AIDS virus infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yik Chun Wong
- AIDS Institute, Department of Microbiology, State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- HKU-AIDS Institute Shenzhen Research Laboratory and AIDS Clinical Research Laboratory, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Shenzhen Third People’s Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Wan Liu
- AIDS Institute, Department of Microbiology, State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Lok Yan Yim
- AIDS Institute, Department of Microbiology, State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- HKU-AIDS Institute Shenzhen Research Laboratory and AIDS Clinical Research Laboratory, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Shenzhen Third People’s Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xin Li
- AIDS Institute, Department of Microbiology, State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Foshan University, Foshan, China
| | - Hui Wang
- HKU-AIDS Institute Shenzhen Research Laboratory and AIDS Clinical Research Laboratory, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Shenzhen Third People’s Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Ming Yue
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Mengyue Niu
- AIDS Institute, Department of Microbiology, State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Lin Cheng
- HKU-AIDS Institute Shenzhen Research Laboratory and AIDS Clinical Research Laboratory, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Shenzhen Third People’s Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Lijun Ling
- AIDS Institute, Department of Microbiology, State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Yanhua Du
- AIDS Institute, Department of Microbiology, State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Samantha M. Y. Chen
- AIDS Institute, Department of Microbiology, State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Ka-Wai Cheung
- AIDS Institute, Department of Microbiology, State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Haibo Wang
- AIDS Institute, Department of Microbiology, State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Xian Tang
- HKU-AIDS Institute Shenzhen Research Laboratory and AIDS Clinical Research Laboratory, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Shenzhen Third People’s Hospital, Shenzhen, China
- Virus and Immunity Unit, Pasteur Institute, Paris, France; INSERM U1108, Paris, France
| | - Jiansong Tang
- AIDS Institute, Department of Microbiology, State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Haoji Zhang
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Foshan University, Foshan, China
| | - Youqiang Song
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Lisa A. Chakrabarti
- Virus and Immunity Unit, Pasteur Institute, Paris, France; INSERM U1108, Paris, France
| | - Zhiwei Chen
- AIDS Institute, Department of Microbiology, State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- HKU-AIDS Institute Shenzhen Research Laboratory and AIDS Clinical Research Laboratory, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Shenzhen Third People’s Hospital, Shenzhen, China
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Larijani MS, Pouriayevali MH, Sadat SM, Ramezani A. Production of Recombinant HIV-1 p24-Nef Protein in Two Forms as Potential Candidate Vaccines in Three Vehicles. Curr Drug Deliv 2021; 17:387-395. [PMID: 32183667 DOI: 10.2174/1567201817666200317121728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2019] [Revised: 01/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Different approaches have been investigated to develop a preventive or therapeutic vaccine, although none of them has been fully practical. Therapeutic vaccines against HIV-1 have been studied with the aim of eliminating the virus from reservoir cells with or without HAART (Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy). Fusion proteins with the most immunogenic features among conserved regions can facilitate this achievement in such a variable virus. To achieve the most immunogenic and also conserved regions, bioinformatics tools are widely used to predict antigens' features before applying them. OBJECTIVE This study aimed at the in vitro evaluation of p24 -Nef fusion protein based on the previous in silico design to achieve a potential therapeutic subunit vaccine against HIV-1. METHODS The truncated form of p24-Nef using AAY flexible linker and the full protein were expressed and evaluated in the prokaryotic system and confirmed by western blotting. We also used pcDNA3.1 to transfect Lenti-X 293T cells. Moreover, lentiviral vectors were applied to produce recombinant virions harboring the genes of interest and cell transduction. RESULTS Both fusion proteins in a truncated and a full form were expressed and confirmed by Anti Nef polyclonal antibody in western blotting. Recombinant virions were generated and transduced Lenti-X 293T cells confirming by immunofluorescence microscope and p24 ELISA assay kit. Transduced cells were analyzed by SDS-PAGE and western blotting, which resulted in approved protein expression. CONCLUSION Fusion protein of p24 and Nef is well expressed in eukaryotic cell lines according to its pre-evaluated features by bioinformatics tools.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mona Sadat Larijani
- Department of Hepatitis, AIDS and Blood Borne Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Hassan Pouriayevali
- Department of Arboviruses and Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers (National Ref Lab), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyed Mehdi Sadat
- Department of Hepatitis, AIDS and Blood Borne Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Amitis Ramezani
- Department of Clinical Research, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Adams P, Iserentant G, Servais JY, Vandekerckhove L, Vanham G, Seguin-Devaux C. Cytotoxic CD8+ T Cells Expressing CXCR5 Are Detectable in HIV-1 Elite Controllers After Prolonged In Vitro Peptide Stimulation. Front Immunol 2021; 11:622343. [PMID: 33717056 PMCID: PMC7945035 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.622343] [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: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is not curative as HIV-1 persists in long-lived viral reservoirs. Consequently, patients are dependent on life-long drug adherence with possible side effects. To overcome these limitations strategies of a functional cure aim at ART free viral remission. In this study, we sought to identify detailed subsets of anti-viral CD8+ T cell immunity linked to natural long-term control of HIV-1 infection. Here, we analyzed HIV controllers and ART suppressed progressors for in vitro viral suppressive capacity (VSC) at baseline and after peptide stimulation. Functional properties and phenotypes of CD8+ T cells were assessed by IFN-γ ELISPOT and 18 color flow cytometry. HIV controllers showed significantly increased suppression at baseline as well as after peptide stimulation. IFN-γ secretion and the proliferation marker Ki67 positively correlated with VSC. Moreover, the detailed phenotype of three distinct multifunctional memory CD8+ T cell subsets were specific traits of HIV controllers of which two correlated convincingly with VSC. Our results underline the importance of multifunctional CD8+ T cell responses during natural control. Especially the role of CXCR5 expressing cytotoxic subsets emphasizes potential surveillance in sites of reservoir persistence and demand further study.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Adams
- Department of Infection and Immunity, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg.,Departments of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Gilles Iserentant
- Department of Infection and Immunity, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Jean-Yves Servais
- Department of Infection and Immunity, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | | | - Guido Vanham
- Departments of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Carole Seguin-Devaux
- Department of Infection and Immunity, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | | |
Collapse
|
18
|
MAVS Genetic Variation Is Associated with Decreased HIV-1 Replication In Vitro and Reduced CD4 + T Cell Infection in HIV-1-Infected Individuals. Viruses 2020; 12:v12070764. [PMID: 32708557 PMCID: PMC7412276 DOI: 10.3390/v12070764] [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: 06/15/2020] [Revised: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The mitochondrial antiviral protein MAVS is a key player in the induction of antiviral responses; however, human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) is able to suppress these responses. Two linked single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the MAVS gene render MAVS insensitive to HIV-1-dependent suppression, and have been shown to be associated with a lower viral load at set point and delayed increase of viral load during disease progression. Here, we studied the underlying mechanisms involved in the control of viral replication in individuals homozygous for this MAVS genotype. We observed that individuals with the MAVS minor genotype had more stable total CD4+ T cell counts during a 7-year follow up and had lower cell-associated proviral DNA loads. Genetic variation in MAVS did not affect immune activation levels; however, a significantly lower percentage of naïve CD4+ but not CD8+ T cells was observed in the MAVS minor genotype. In vitro HIV-1 infection of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from healthy donors with the MAVS minor genotype resulted in decreased viral replication. Although the precise underlying mechanism remains unclear, our data suggest that the protective effect of the MAVS minor genotype may be exerted by the initiation of local innate responses affecting viral replication and CD4+ T cell susceptibility.
Collapse
|
19
|
Gallinaro A, Borghi M, Pirillo MF, Cecchetti S, Bona R, Canitano A, Michelini Z, Di Virgilio A, Olvera A, Brander C, Negri D, Cara A. Development and Preclinical Evaluation of an Integrase Defective Lentiviral Vector Vaccine Expressing the HIVACAT T Cell Immunogen in Mice. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2020; 17:418-428. [PMID: 32154327 PMCID: PMC7056611 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2020.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Cellular immune responses play a fundamental role in controlling viral replication and AIDS progression in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected subjects and in simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)-infected macaques. Integrase defective lentiviral vector (IDLV) represents a promising vaccine candidate, inducing functional and durable immune responses in mice and non-human primates. Here, we designed HIV- and SIV-based IDLVs to express the HIVACAT T cell immunogen (HTI), a mosaic antigen designed to cover vulnerable sites in HIV-1 Gag, Pol, Vif, and Nef. We observed that HTI expression during lentiviral vector production interfered profoundly with IDLV particles release because of sequestration of both HIV- and SIV-Gag proteins in the cytoplasm of the vector-producing cells. However, modifications in IDLV design and vector production procedures greatly improved recovery of both HIV- and SIV-based IDLV-HTI. Immunization experiments in BALB/c mice showed that both IDLVs elicited HTI-specific T cell responses. However, immunization with HIV-based IDLV elicited also a T cell response toward exogenous HIV proteins in IDLV particles, suggesting that SIV-based IDLV may be a preferable platform to assess the induction of transgene-specific immune responses against rationally designed HIV structural antigens. These data support the further evaluation of IDLV as an effective platform of T cell immunogens for the development of an effective HIV vaccine.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Martina Borghi
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Serena Cecchetti
- Confocal Microscopy Unit NMR, Confocal Microscopy Area Core Facilities, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Roberta Bona
- National Center for Global Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Canitano
- National Center for Global Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Zuleika Michelini
- National Center for Global Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio Di Virgilio
- Center for Animal Research and Welfare, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Alex Olvera
- Irsicaixa AIDS Research Institute, 08916 Badalona, Catalonia, Spain
- Universitat de Vic-Universitat Central de Catalunya (UVic-UCC), 08500 Vic, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Christian Brander
- Irsicaixa AIDS Research Institute, 08916 Badalona, Catalonia, Spain
- Universitat de Vic-Universitat Central de Catalunya (UVic-UCC), 08500 Vic, Barcelona, Spain
- ICREA, Pg. Lluís Companys 23, 08010 Barcelona, Spain
- AELIX Therapeutics, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Donatella Negri
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Cara
- National Center for Global Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Clinical and evolutionary consequences of HIV adaptation to HLA: implications for vaccine and cure. Curr Opin HIV AIDS 2020; 14:194-204. [PMID: 30925534 DOI: 10.1097/coh.0000000000000541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW The purpose of this review is to summarize recent advances in our understanding of HIV adaptation to human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-associated immune pressures and its relevance to HIV prevention and cure research. RECENT FINDINGS Recent research has confirmed that HLA is a major driver of individual and population-level HIV evolution, that HIV strains are adapting to the immunogenetic profiles of the different human ethnic groups in which they circulate, and that HIV adaptation has substantial clinical and immunologic consequences. As such, adaptation represents a major challenge to HIV prevention and cure. At the same time, there are opportunities: Studies of HIV adaptation are revealing why certain HLA alleles are protective in some populations and not others; they are identifying immunogenic viral epitopes that harbor high mutational barriers to escape, and they may help illuminate novel, vaccine-relevant HIV epitopes in regions where circulating adaptation is extensive. Elucidation of HLA-driven adapted and nonadapted viral forms in different human populations and HIV subtypes also renders 'personalized' immunogen selection, as a component of HIV cure strategies, conceptually feasible. SUMMARY Though adaptation represents a major challenge to HIV prevention and cure, achieving an in-depth understanding of this phenomenon can help move the design of such strategies forward.
Collapse
|
21
|
Pasternak AO, Grijsen ML, Wit FW, Bakker M, Jurriaans S, Prins JM, Berkhout B. Cell-associated HIV-1 RNA predicts viral rebound and disease progression after discontinuation of temporary early ART. JCI Insight 2020; 5:134196. [PMID: 32097124 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.134196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2019] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasma viral load (VL) and CD4+ T cell count are widely used as biomarkers of HIV type 1 (HIV-1) replication, pathogenesis, and response to antiretroviral therapy (ART). However, the clinical potential of cell-associated (CA) HIV-1 molecular markers is much less understood. Here, we measured CA HIV-1 RNA and DNA in HIV-infected individuals treated with temporary ART initiated during primary HIV-1 infection. We demonstrate substantial predictive value of CA RNA for (a) the virological and immunological response to early ART, (b) the magnitude and time to viral rebound after discontinuation of early ART, and (c) disease progression in the absence of treatment. Remarkably, when adjusted for CA RNA, plasma VL no longer appeared as an independent predictor of any clinical endpoint in this cohort. The potential of CA RNA as an HIV-1 clinical marker, in particular as a predictive biomarker of virological control after stopping ART, should be explored in the context of HIV-1 curative interventions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Marlous L Grijsen
- Department of Internal Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands.,Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Ferdinand W Wit
- Department of Internal Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands.,Global Health program, Amsterdam Public Health research institute, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands.,Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development, Amsterdam, Netherlands.,HIV Monitoring Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Margreet Bakker
- Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, and
| | - Suzanne Jurriaans
- Laboratory of Clinical Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Jan M Prins
- Department of Internal Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Ben Berkhout
- Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, and
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Abstract
HIV infection can be effectively treated by lifelong administration of combination antiretroviral therapy, but an effective vaccine will likely be required to end the HIV epidemic. Although the majority of current vaccine strategies focus on the induction of neutralizing antibodies, there is substantial evidence that cellular immunity mediated by CD8+ T cells can sustain long-term disease-free and transmission-free HIV control and may be harnessed to induce both therapeutic and preventive antiviral effects. In this Review, we discuss the increasing evidence derived from individuals who spontaneously control infection without antiretroviral therapy as well as preclinical immunization studies that provide a clear rationale for renewed efforts to develop a CD8+ T cell-based HIV vaccine in conjunction with B cell vaccine efforts. Further, we outline the remaining challenges in translating these findings into viable HIV prevention, treatment and cure strategies. Recently, antibody-mediated control of HIV infection has received considerable attention. Here, the authors discuss the importance of CD8+ T cells in HIV infection and suggest that efforts to develop vaccines that target these cells in conjunction with B cells should be renewed.
Collapse
|
23
|
Namazi F, Bolhassani A, Sadat SM, Irani S. Delivery of HIV-1 Polyepitope Constructs Using Cationic and Amphipathic Cell Penetrating Peptides into Mammalian Cells. Curr HIV Res 2020; 17:408-428. [DOI: 10.2174/1570162x17666191121114522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Revised: 11/06/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Background:
An effective vaccine against human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) is
an important global health priority. Despite many efforts in the development of the HIV-1 vaccine,
no effective vaccine has been approved yet. Recently, polyepitope vaccines including several immunogenic
and conserved epitopes of HIV-1 proteins have received special attention.
Methods:
In this study, HIV-1 Nef, Tat, Gp160 and P24 proteins were considered for selection of
immunodominant and conserved epitopes due to their critical roles in the viral life cycle and pathogenesis.
At first, the Nef60-84-Nef126-144-Tat29-49-Gp16030-53-Gp160308-323-P248-151 DNA construct was
designed using in silico studies. Then, the DNA construct was subcloned in pEGFP-N1 and pET-
24a (+) expression vectors and the rNef-Tat-Gp160-P24 polyepitope peptide was generated in E.coli
expression system for in vitro delivery using novel cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs), LDP-NLS and
CyLoP-1, in a non-covalent manner. Also, the HR9 and MPG CPPs were used to transfer the DNA
construct.
Results:
Our results showed that the recombinant polyepitope peptide generated in Rosetta strain
migrated as a clear band of ~31 kDa in SDS-PAGE. The SEM data confirmed the formation of stable
nanoparticles with a size below 250 nm. MTT assay revealed that the complexes did not represent
any considerable cytotoxic effect compared to untreated cells. The results of fluorescence microscopy,
flow cytometry and western blotting indicated that these CPPs successfully delivered polyepitope
constructs into HEK-293T cell line.
Conclusion:
These data suggested that these CPPs can be used as a promising approach for the development
of the HIV-1 vaccine.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Namazi
- Department of Biology, School of Basic Sciences, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Azam Bolhassani
- Department of Hepatitis and AIDS, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyed Mehdi Sadat
- Department of Hepatitis and AIDS, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Shiva Irani
- Department of Biology, School of Basic Sciences, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
PD-1 Expression in HIV-Specific CD8+ T cells Before Antiretroviral Therapy Is Associated With HIV Persistence. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2019; 80:1-6. [PMID: 30399040 DOI: 10.1097/qai.0000000000001887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The persistence of latently infected T cells remains the principal barrier to HIV cure. Understanding how the early immune responses shape persistence of HIV on antiretroviral therapy (ART) will be fundamental for potential eradication. Here, we aimed to determine the relationship between CD8 T-cell function and phenotype before therapy and HIV persistence on ART. METHODS Blood samples from 29 individuals enrolled during primary HIV infection (at baseline and every 3 months up to 2 years post-ART initiation) were obtained. HIV-specific T-cell function and expression of the activation markers were evaluated before ART by flow cytometry. Cell-associated HIV DNA and unspliced (US)-RNA were quantified in purified CD4 T cells by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Data were analyzed using nonparametric statistics. RESULTS Elevated immune activation, dominance of monofunctional CD8 T cells, and skewed distribution of memory profile were observed before ART. After ART initiation, HIV DNA and US-RNA levels rapidly diminished, reaching a plateau by 30 weeks after ART. The proportion of baseline HIV-specific effector memory and terminal effector CD8 T cells directly correlated with HIV DNA levels at 1 year after ART. A strong positive correlation was observed between the proportion of bulk and HIV-specific PD-1 CD8 T cells measured before ART and HIV DNA at 1 year after ART. CONCLUSIONS A higher proportion of terminally differentiated CD8 T cells and increased PD1 expression were associated with HIV persistence on ART after treatment of primary infection. Thus, the quality of the early CD8 T-cell immune response may serve as a predictor of HIV persistence on ART.
Collapse
|
25
|
Immunization of BLT Humanized Mice Redirects T Cell Responses to Gag and Reduces Acute HIV-1 Viremia. J Virol 2019; 93:JVI.00814-19. [PMID: 31375576 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00814-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2019] [Accepted: 07/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BLT (bone marrow-liver-thymus) humanized mice, which reconstitute a functional human immune system, develop prototypic human virus-specific CD8+ T cell responses following infection with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). We explored the utility of the BLT model for HIV-1 vaccine development by immunizing BLT mice against the conserved viral Gag protein, utilizing a rapid prime-boost protocol of poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid microparticles and a replication-defective herpes simplex virus (HSV) recombinant vector. After HIV-1 challenge, the mice developed broad, proteome-wide gamma interferon-positive (IFN-γ+) T cell responses against HIV-1 that reached magnitudes equivalent to what is observed in HIV-1-infected individuals. The functionality of these responses was underscored by the consistent emergence of escape mutations in multiple CD8+ T cell epitopes during the course of infection. Although prechallenge vaccine-induced responses were largely undetectable, the Gag immunization increased both the magnitude and the kinetics of anamnestic Gag-specific T cell responses following HIV-1 infection, and the magnitude of these postchallenge Gag-specific responses was inversely correlated with acute HIV-1 viremia. Indeed, Gag immunization was associated with a modest but significant 0.5-log reduction in HIV-1 viral load when analyzed across four experimental groups of BLT mice. Notably, the HSV vector induced elevated plasma concentrations of polarizing cytokines and chemotactic factors, including interleukin-12p70 (IL-12p70) and MIP-1α, which were positively correlated with the magnitude of Gag-specific responses. Overall, these results support the ability of BLT mice to recapitulate human pathogen-specific T cell responses and to respond to immunization; however, additional improvements to the model are required to develop a robust system for testing HIV-1 vaccine efficacy.IMPORTANCE Advances in the development of humanized mice have raised the possibility of a small-animal model for preclinical testing of an HIV-1 vaccine. Here, we describe the capacity of BLT humanized mice to mount broadly directed HIV-1-specific human T cell responses that are functionally active, as indicated by the rapid emergence of viral escape mutations. Although immunization of BLT mice with the conserved viral Gag protein did not result in detectable prechallenge responses, it did increase the magnitude and kinetics of postchallenge Gag-specific T cell responses, which was associated with a modest but significant reduction in acute HIV-1 viremia. Additionally, the BLT model revealed immunization-associated increases in the plasma concentrations of immunomodulatory cytokines and chemokines that correlated with more robust T cell responses. These data support the potential utility of the BLT humanized mouse for HIV-1 vaccine development but suggest that additional improvements to the model are warranted.
Collapse
|
26
|
Kilpeläinen A, Saubi N, Guitart N, Olvera A, Hanke T, Brander C, Joseph J. Recombinant BCG Expressing HTI Prime and Recombinant ChAdOx1 Boost Is Safe and Elicits HIV-1-Specific T-Cell Responses in BALB/c Mice. Vaccines (Basel) 2019; 7:vaccines7030078. [PMID: 31382453 PMCID: PMC6789536 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines7030078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2019] [Revised: 07/11/2019] [Accepted: 07/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the availability of anti-retroviral therapy, HIV-1 infection remains a massive burden on healthcare systems. Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), the only licensed vaccine against tuberculosis, confers protection against meningitis and miliary tuberculosis in infants. Recombinant BCG has been used as a vaccine vehicle to express both HIV-1 and Simian Immunodeficiemcy Virus (SIV) immunogens. In this study, we constructed an integrative E. coli-mycobacterial shuttle plasmid, p2auxo.HTI.int, expressing the HIVACAT T-cell immunogen (HTI). The plasmid was transformed into a lysine auxotrophic Mycobacterium bovis BCG strain (BCGΔLys) to generate the vaccine BCG.HTI2auxo.int. The DNA sequence coding for the HTI immunogen and HTI protein expression were confirmed, and working vaccine stocks were genetically and phenotypically characterized. We demonstrated that the vaccine was stable in vitro for 35 bacterial generations, and that when delivered in combination with chimpanzee adenovirus (ChAd)Ox1.HTI in adult BALB/c mice, it was well tolerated and induced HIV-1-specific T-cell responses. Specifically, priming with BCG.HTI2auxo.int doubled the magnitude of the T-cell response in comparison with ChAdOx1.HTI alone while maintaining its breadth. The use of integrative expression vectors and novel HIV-1 immunogens can aid in improving mycobacterial vaccine stability as well as specific immunogenicity. This vaccine candidate may be a useful tool in the development of an effective vaccine platform for priming protective responses against HIV-1/TB and other prevalent pediatric pathogens.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Athina Kilpeläinen
- Catalan Center for HIV Vaccine Research and Development, AIDS Research Unit, Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Clínic/IDIBAPS, 08036 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Vall d'Hebron Research Institute, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, 08035 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Narcís Saubi
- Catalan Center for HIV Vaccine Research and Development, AIDS Research Unit, Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Clínic/IDIBAPS, 08036 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Vall d'Hebron Research Institute, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, 08035 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Núria Guitart
- Catalan Center for HIV Vaccine Research and Development, AIDS Research Unit, Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Clínic/IDIBAPS, 08036 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Alex Olvera
- Irsicaixa AIDS Research Institute, 08916 Badalona, Catalonia, Spain
- Universitat de Vic-Universitat Central de Catalunya (UVic-UCC), 08500 Vic, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Tomáš Hanke
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK
- International Research Center of Medical Sciences (IRCMS), Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-0811, Japan
| | - Christian Brander
- Irsicaixa AIDS Research Institute, 08916 Badalona, Catalonia, Spain
- Universitat de Vic-Universitat Central de Catalunya (UVic-UCC), 08500 Vic, Barcelona, Spain
- ICREA, Pg. Lluís Companys 23, 08010 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- AELIX Therapeutics, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Joan Joseph
- Catalan Center for HIV Vaccine Research and Development, AIDS Research Unit, Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Clínic/IDIBAPS, 08036 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
- Vall d'Hebron Research Institute, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, 08035 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Cervera L, Gòdia F, Tarrés-Freixas F, Aguilar-Gurrieri C, Carrillo J, Blanco J, Gutiérrez-Granados S. Production of HIV-1-based virus-like particles for vaccination: achievements and limits. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2019; 103:7367-7384. [DOI: 10.1007/s00253-019-10038-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2019] [Revised: 07/15/2019] [Accepted: 07/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
|
28
|
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW This review summarizes the recent landscape of HIV therapeutic vaccine research, emphasizing the results of randomized controlled trials that included analytical treatment interruption (ATI) to assess efficacy. RECENT FINDINGS Therapeutic vaccines for HIV are designed to re-educate the host immune response in HIV-infected individuals to better control viral replication in the absence of antiretroviral therapy. No therapeutic vaccine has yet to induce long-term HIV remission following ATI in a randomized controlled trial. This is likely because the vaccines have not elicited a broad enough immune response to suppress the diverse escape variants that emerge during viral rebound, and have not been used with effective agents to reduce the HIV reservoir. Recent studies in nonhuman primates using combination approaches are showing significant successes, with several candidates eliciting significant antiviral activity following ATI. Future studies pairing these vaccines with effective reservoir reduction hold great promise. SUMMARY Therapeutic vaccines aim to modulate the immune system of HIV-infected individuals to elicit sustained virologic control in the absence of antiretroviral therapy. Therapeutic vaccines that elicit broad immune responses have recently shown promise in randomized controlled trials and nonhuman primate studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn E Stephenson
- Center for Virology and Vaccine Research, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.,Harvard Medical School, Boston.,Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Kilpeläinen A, Saubi N, Guitart N, Moyo N, Wee EG, Ravi K, Hanke T, Joseph J. Priming With Recombinant BCG Expressing Novel HIV-1 Conserved Mosaic Immunogens and Boosting With Recombinant ChAdOx1 Is Safe, Stable, and Elicits HIV-1-Specific T-Cell Responses in BALB/c Mice. Front Immunol 2019; 10:923. [PMID: 31156614 PMCID: PMC6530512 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.00923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2019] [Accepted: 04/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BCG is currently the only licensed vaccine against tuberculosis (TB) and confers protection against meningitis and miliary tuberculosis in infants, although pulmonary disease protection in adults is inconsistent. Recently, promising HIV-1 immunogens were developed, such as the T-cell immunogens “tHIVconsvX,” designed using functionally conserved protein regions across group M strains, with mosaic immunogens to improve HIV-1 variant match and response breadth. In this study, we constructed an integrative E. coli-mycobacterial shuttle plasmid, p2auxo.HIVconsvXint, expressing the immunogens HIVconsv1&2. This expression vector used an antibiotic resistance-free mechanism for plasmid selection and maintenance. It was first transformed into a glycine auxotrophic E. coli strain and subsequently transformed into a lysine auxotrophic Mycobacterium bovis BCG strain to generate vaccines BCG.HIVconsv12auxo.int and BCG.HIVconsv22auxo.int. The DNA sequence coding for the HIVconsv1&2 immunogens and protein expression were confirmed and working vaccine stocks were genetically and phenotypically characterized. We demonstrated that BCG.HIVconsv1&22auxo.int in combination with ChAdOx1.tHIVconsv5&6 were well tolerated and induced HIV-1-specific T-cell responses in adult BALB/c mice. In addition, we showed that the BCG.HIVconsv1&22auxo.int vaccine strains were stable in vitro after 35 bacterial generations and in vivo 7 weeks after inoculation. The use of integrative expression vectors and novel HIV-1 immunogens are likely to have improved the mycobacterial vaccine stability and specific immunogenicity and may enable the development of a useful vaccine platform for priming protective responses against HIV-1/TB and other prevalent pediatric pathogens shortly following birth.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Athina Kilpeläinen
- AIDS Research Unit, Infectious Diseases Department, Catalan Center for HIV Vaccine Research and Development, Hospital Clínic/IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Narcís Saubi
- AIDS Research Unit, Infectious Diseases Department, Catalan Center for HIV Vaccine Research and Development, Hospital Clínic/IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Núria Guitart
- AIDS Research Unit, Infectious Diseases Department, Catalan Center for HIV Vaccine Research and Development, Hospital Clínic/IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Nathifa Moyo
- The Jenner Institute Laboratories, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Edmund G Wee
- The Jenner Institute Laboratories, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Krupa Ravi
- The Jenner Institute Laboratories, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Tomáš Hanke
- The Jenner Institute Laboratories, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.,International Research Center for Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Joan Joseph
- AIDS Research Unit, Infectious Diseases Department, Catalan Center for HIV Vaccine Research and Development, Hospital Clínic/IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Effective Suppression of HIV-1 Replication by Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes Specific for Pol Epitopes in Conserved Mosaic Vaccine Immunogens. J Virol 2019; 93:JVI.02142-18. [PMID: 30674626 PMCID: PMC6430542 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.02142-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Accepted: 01/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
It is likely necessary for an effective AIDS vaccine to elicit CD8+ T cells with the ability to recognize circulating HIV-1 and suppress its replication. We recently developed novel bivalent mosaic T-cell vaccine immunogens composed of conserved regions of the Gag and Pol proteins matched to at least 80% globally circulating HIV-1 isolates. Nevertheless, it remains to be proven if vaccination with these immunogens can elicit T cells with the ability to suppress HIV-1 replication. It is well known that Gag-specific T cells can suppress HIV-1 replication more effectively than T cells specific for epitopes in other proteins. We recently identified 5 protective Gag epitopes in the vaccine immunogens. In this study, we identified T cells specific for 6 Pol epitopes present in the immunogens with strong abilities to suppress HIV-1 in vivo and in vitro. This study further encourages clinical testing of the conserved mosaic T-cell vaccine in HIV-1 prevention and cure. Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) with strong abilities to suppress HIV-1 replication and recognize circulating HIV-1 could be key for both HIV-1 cure and prophylaxis. We recently designed conserved mosaic T-cell vaccine immunogens (tHIVconsvX) composed of 6 Gag and Pol regions. Since the tHIVconsvX vaccine targets conserved regions common to most global HIV-1 variants and employs a bivalent mosaic design, it is expected that it could be universal if the vaccine works. Although we recently demonstrated that CTLs specific for 5 Gag epitopes in the vaccine immunogens had strong ability to suppress HIV-1 replication in vitro and in vivo, it remains unknown whether the Pol region-specific CTLs are equally efficient. In this study, we investigated CTLs specific for Pol epitopes in the immunogens in treatment-naive Japanese patients infected with HIV-1 clade B. Overall, we mapped 20 reported and 5 novel Pol conserved epitopes in tHIVconsvX. Responses to 6 Pol epitopes were significantly associated with good clinical outcome, suggesting that CTLs specific for these 6 Pol epitopes had a strong ability to suppress HIV-1 replication in HIV-1-infected individuals. In vitro T-cell analyses further confirmed that the Pol-specific CTLs could effectively suppress HIV-1 replication. The present study thus demonstrated that the Pol regions of the vaccine contained protective epitopes. T-cell responses to the previous 5 Gag and present 6 Pol protective epitopes together also showed a strong correlation with better clinical outcome. These findings support the testing of the conserved mosaic vaccine in HIV-1 cure and prevention in humans. IMPORTANCE It is likely necessary for an effective AIDS vaccine to elicit CD8+ T cells with the ability to recognize circulating HIV-1 and suppress its replication. We recently developed novel bivalent mosaic T-cell vaccine immunogens composed of conserved regions of the Gag and Pol proteins matched to at least 80% globally circulating HIV-1 isolates. Nevertheless, it remains to be proven if vaccination with these immunogens can elicit T cells with the ability to suppress HIV-1 replication. It is well known that Gag-specific T cells can suppress HIV-1 replication more effectively than T cells specific for epitopes in other proteins. We recently identified 5 protective Gag epitopes in the vaccine immunogens. In this study, we identified T cells specific for 6 Pol epitopes present in the immunogens with strong abilities to suppress HIV-1 in vivo and in vitro. This study further encourages clinical testing of the conserved mosaic T-cell vaccine in HIV-1 prevention and cure.
Collapse
|
31
|
Rosás-Umbert M, Llano A, Bellido R, Olvera A, Ruiz-Riol M, Rocafort M, Fernández MA, Cobarsi P, Crespo M, Dorrell L, Del Romero J, Alcami J, Paredes R, Brander C, Mothe B. Mechanisms of Abrupt Loss of Virus Control in a Cohort of Previous HIV Controllers. J Virol 2019; 93:e01436-18. [PMID: 30487276 PMCID: PMC6363998 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01436-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2018] [Accepted: 11/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Elite and viremic HIV controllers are able to control their HIV infection and maintain undetectable or low-level viremia in the absence of antiretroviral treatment. Despite extensive studies, the immune factors responsible for such exclusive control remain poorly defined. We identified a cohort of 14 HIV controllers that suffered an abrupt loss of HIV control (LoC) to investigate possible mechanisms and virological and immunological events related to the sudden loss of control. The in-depth analysis of these subjects involved the study of cell tropism of circulating virus, evidence for HIV superinfection, cellular immune responses to HIV, as well as an examination of viral adaptation to host immunity by Gag sequencing. Our data demonstrate that a poor capacity of T cells to mediate in vitro viral suppression, even in the context of protective HLA alleles, predicts a loss of viral control. In addition, the data suggest that inefficient viral control may be explained by an increase of CD8 T-cell activation and exhaustion before LoC. Furthermore, we detected a switch from C5- to X4-tropic viruses in 4 individuals after loss of control, suggesting that tropism shift might also contribute to disease progression in HIV controllers. The significantly reduced inhibition of in vitro viral replication and increased expression of activation and exhaustion markers preceding the abrupt loss of viral control may help identify untreated HIV controllers that are at risk of losing control and may offer a useful tool for monitoring individuals during treatment interruption phases in therapeutic vaccine trials.IMPORTANCE A few individuals can control HIV infection without the need for antiretroviral treatment and are referred to as HIV controllers. We have studied HIV controllers who suddenly lose this ability and present with high in vivo viral replication and decays in their CD4+ T-cell counts to identify potential immune and virological factors that were responsible for initial virus control. We identify in vitro-determined reductions in the ability of CD8 T cells to suppress viral control and the presence of PD-1-expressing CD8+ T cells with a naive immune phenotype as potential predictors of in vivo loss of virus control. The findings could be important for the clinical management of HIV controller individuals, and it may offer an important tool to anticipate viral rebound in individuals in clinical studies that include combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) treatment interruptions and which, if not treated quickly, could pose a significant risk to the trial participants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Rosás-Umbert
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute-HIVACAT, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anuska Llano
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute-HIVACAT, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
| | - Rocío Bellido
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute-HIVACAT, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
| | - Alex Olvera
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute-HIVACAT, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
| | - Marta Ruiz-Riol
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute-HIVACAT, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
| | - Muntsa Rocafort
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute-HIVACAT, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
| | - Marco A Fernández
- Flow Cytometry Facility, Health Sciences Research Institute Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
| | - Patricia Cobarsi
- HIV Unit, Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
| | - Manel Crespo
- Infectious Diseases Unit, Internal Medicine Department, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Vigo, IIS Galicia Sur, Spain
| | - Lucy Dorrell
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | - José Alcami
- Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Roger Paredes
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute-HIVACAT, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- HIV Unit, Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
- University of Vic and Central Catalonia, UVIC-UCC, Vic, Spain
| | - Christian Brander
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute-HIVACAT, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
- University of Vic and Central Catalonia, UVIC-UCC, Vic, Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
- AELIX Therapeutics, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Beatriz Mothe
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute-HIVACAT, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
- HIV Unit, Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
- University of Vic and Central Catalonia, UVIC-UCC, Vic, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Salido J, Ruiz MJ, Trifone C, Figueroa MI, Caruso MP, Gherardi MM, Sued O, Salomón H, Laufer N, Ghiglione Y, Turk G. Phenotype, Polyfunctionality, and Antiviral Activity of in vitro Stimulated CD8 + T-Cells From HIV + Subjects Who Initiated cART at Different Time-Points After Acute Infection. Front Immunol 2018; 9:2443. [PMID: 30405632 PMCID: PMC6205955 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.02443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2018] [Accepted: 10/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Since anti-HIV treatment cannot cure the infection, many strategies have been proposed to eradicate the viral reservoir, which still remains as a major challenge. The success of some of these strategies will rely on the ability of HIV-specific CD8+ T-cells (CD8TC) to clear reactivated infected cells. Here, we aimed to investigate the phenotype and function of in vitro expanded CD8TC obtained from HIV+ subjects on combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), either initiated earlier (median = 3 months postinfection, ET: Early treatment) or later (median = 20 months postinfection, DT: Delayed treatment) after infection. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 12 DT and 13 ET subjects were obtained and stimulated with Nef and Gag peptide pools plus IL-2 for 14 days. ELISPOT was performed pre- and post-expansion. CD8TC memory/effector phenotype, PD-1 expression, polyfunctionality (CD107a/b, IFN-γ, IL-2, CCL4 (MIP-1β), and/or TNF-α production) and antiviral activity were evaluated post-expansion. Magnitude of ELISPOT responses increased after expansion by 103 times, in both groups. Expanded cells were highly polyfunctional, regardless of time of cART initiation. The memory/effector phenotype distribution was sharply skewed toward an effector phenotype after expansion in both groups although ET subjects showed significantly higher proportions of stem-cell and central memory CD8TCs. PD-1 expression was clustered in HIV-specific effector memory CD8TCs, subset that also showed the highest proportion of cytokine-producing cells. Moreover, PD-1 expression directly correlated with CD8TC functionality. Expanded CD8TCs from DT and ET subjects were highly capable of mediating antiviral activity, measured by two different assays. Antiviral function directly correlated with the proportion of fully differentiated effector cells (viral inhibition assay) as well as with CD8TC polyfunctionality and PD-1 expression (VITAL assay). In sum, we show that, despite being dampened in subjects on cART, the HIV-specific CD8TC response could be selectively stimulated and expanded in vitro, presenting a high proportion of cells able to carry-out multiple effector functions. Timing of cART initiation had an impact on the memory/effector differentiation phenotype, most likely reflecting how different periods of antigen persistence affected immune function. Overall, these results have important implications for the design and evaluation of strategies aimed at modulating CD8TCs to achieve the HIV functional cure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jimena Salido
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida (INBIRS), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María Julia Ruiz
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida (INBIRS), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - César Trifone
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida (INBIRS), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | - María Paula Caruso
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida (INBIRS), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María Magdalena Gherardi
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida (INBIRS), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Omar Sued
- Fundación Huésped, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Horacio Salomón
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida (INBIRS), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Natalia Laufer
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida (INBIRS), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Hospital General de Agudos “Dr. JA Fernández”, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Yanina Ghiglione
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida (INBIRS), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Gabriela Turk
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida (INBIRS), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Overcoming immunogenicity issues of HIV p24 antigen by the use of innovative nanostructured lipid carriers as delivery systems: evidences in mice and non-human primates. NPJ Vaccines 2018; 3:46. [PMID: 30302284 PMCID: PMC6167354 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-018-0086-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2017] [Revised: 07/04/2018] [Accepted: 07/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
HIV is one of the deadliest pandemics of modern times, having already caused 35 million deaths around the world. Despite the huge efforts spent to develop treatments, the virus cannot yet be eradicated and continues to infect new people. Spread of the virus remains uncontrolled, thus exposing the worldwide population to HIV danger, due to the lack of efficient vaccines. The latest clinical trials describe the challenges associated with developing an effective prophylactic HIV vaccine. These immunological obstacles will only be overcome by smart and innovative solutions applied to the design of vaccine formulations. Here, we describe the use of nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) for the delivery of p24 protein as a model HIV antigen, with the aim of increasing its immunogenicity. We have designed vaccine formulations comprising NLC grafted with p24 antigen, together with cationic NLC optimized for the delivery of immunostimulant CpG. This tailored system significantly enhanced immune responses against p24, in terms of specific antibody production and T-cell activation in mice. More importantly, the capacity of NLC to induce specific immune responses against this troublesome HIV antigen was further supported by a 7-month study on non-human primates (NHP). This work paves the way toward the development of a future HIV vaccine, which will also require the use of envelope antigens. To date, HIV vaccines have resulted in poor or absent protection. A team led by Fabrice P. Navarro at the CEA LETI use the conserved HIV capsid protein p24 vectorized into cationic nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC-p24) along with NLC-delivered CpG. Owing to their small size, NLCs gain access to lymph nodes and deliver antigen directly to antigen presenting cells. Anti-p24 responses have been associated with effective HIV control, making them an attractive vaccine antigen, but they are poorly immunogenic. NLC-p24 shows a good safety profile while at the same time being able to elicit robust humoral and cellular immune responses in both mice and Cynomolgus macaques. NLC-mediated delivery of both p24 and CpG results in more effective immune stimulation than delivery of free antigen and adjuvant. These findings demonstrate the possibility of priming effective responses to a potent but otherwise poorly immunogenic HIV antigen.
Collapse
|
34
|
Abstract
Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text Objective: HIV incidence in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, where Indigenous persons make up 80% of those infected, are among the highest on the continent. Reports of accelerated HIV progression, associated with carriage of certain human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles (including the typically protective HLA-B∗51) have also emerged from the region. Given that acquisition of HIV preadapted to host HLA negatively impacts clinical outcome, we hypothesized that HIV-host adaptation may be elevated in Saskatchewan. Design: Comparative analysis of population-level HIV sequence datasets from Saskatchewan and elsewhere in Canada/USA. Methods: We analyzed 1144 HIV subtype B Pol sequences collected in Saskatchewan between 2000 and 2016, comprising ∼65% of cumulative provincial HIV cases, for the presence of 70 HLA-associated Pol mutations. Sequences from British Columbia (N = 6525) and elsewhere in Canada/USA (N = 6517) were used for comparison. HIV adaptation levels to 34 HLA alleles were also computed. Putative HIV transmission clusters were identified, and the prevalence of HLA-associated adaptations within and outside these clusters was investigated. Results: Analyses confirmed significantly elevated and temporally increasing levels of HIV adaptation to commonly expressed HLA alleles, in particular B∗51. Notably, HLA-adapted HIV strains were significantly enriched among phylogenetic clusters in Saskatchewan. Conclusion: Extensive circulating HIV adaptation to HLA in Saskatchewan provides a plausible explanation for accelerated progression, while enrichment of adapted variants in phylogenetic clusters suggests they are being widely transmitted. Results highlight the utility of Pol sequences, routinely collected for drug resistance monitoring, for surveillance of HIV-host adaptation, and underscore the urgent need to expand HIV prevention and treatment programmes in Saskatchewan.
Collapse
|
35
|
Hu X, Valentin A, Cai Y, Dayton F, Rosati M, Ramírez-Salazar EG, Kulkarni V, Broderick KE, Sardesai NY, Wyatt LS, Earl PL, Moss B, Mullins JI, Pavlakis GN, Felber BK. DNA Vaccine-Induced Long-Lasting Cytotoxic T Cells Targeting Conserved Elements of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Gag Are Boosted Upon DNA or Recombinant Modified Vaccinia Ankara Vaccination. Hum Gene Ther 2018; 29:1029-1043. [PMID: 29869530 PMCID: PMC6152849 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2018.065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA-based vaccines able to induce efficient cytotoxic T-cell responses targeting conserved elements (CE) of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Gag have been developed. These CE were selected by stringent conservation, the ability to induce T-cell responses with broad human leukocyte antigen coverage, and the association between recognition of CE epitopes and viral control in HIV-infected individuals. Based on homology to HIV, a simian immunodeficiency virus p27gag CE DNA vaccine has also been developed. This study reports on the durability of the CE-specific T-cell responses induced by HIV and simian immunodeficiency virus CE DNA-based prime/boost vaccine regimens in rhesus macaques, and shows that the initially primed CE-specific T-cell responses were efficiently boosted by a single CE DNA vaccination after the long rest period (up to 2 years). In another cohort of animals, the study shows that a single inoculation with non-replicating recombinant Modified Vaccinia Ankara (rMVA62B) also potently boosted CE-specific responses after around 1.5 years of rest. Both CE DNA and rMVA62B booster vaccinations increased the magnitude and cytotoxicity of the CE-specific responses while maintaining the breadth of CE recognition. Env produced by rMVA62B did not negatively interfere with the recall of the Gag CE responses. rMVA62B could be beneficial to further boosting the immune response to Gag in humans. Vaccine regimens that employ CE DNA as a priming immunogen hold promise for application in HIV prevention and therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xintao Hu
- 1 Human Retrovirus Pathogenesis Section, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland
| | - Antonio Valentin
- 2 Human Retrovirus Section, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland
| | - Yanhui Cai
- 1 Human Retrovirus Pathogenesis Section, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland
| | - Frances Dayton
- 1 Human Retrovirus Pathogenesis Section, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland
| | - Margherita Rosati
- 2 Human Retrovirus Section, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland
| | | | - Viraj Kulkarni
- 1 Human Retrovirus Pathogenesis Section, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland
| | | | | | - Linda S Wyatt
- 4 Laboratory of Viral Diseases, NIAID, Bethesda, Maryland
| | | | - Bernard Moss
- 4 Laboratory of Viral Diseases, NIAID, Bethesda, Maryland
| | | | - George N Pavlakis
- 2 Human Retrovirus Section, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland
| | - Barbara K Felber
- 1 Human Retrovirus Pathogenesis Section, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Damilano GD, Sued O, Ruiz MJ, Ghiglione Y, Canitano F, Pando M, Turk G, Cahn P, Salomón H, Dilernia D. Computational comparison of availability in CTL/gag epitopes among patients with acute and chronic HIV-1 infection. Vaccine 2018; 36:4142-4151. [PMID: 29802001 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2018.04.086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2018] [Revised: 04/23/2018] [Accepted: 04/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent studies indicate that there is selection bias for transmission of viral polymorphisms associated with higher viral fitness. Furthermore, after transmission and before a specific immune response is mounted in the recipient, the virus undergoes a number of reversions which allow an increase in their replicative capacity. These aspects, and others, affect the viral population characteristic of early acute infection. METHODS 160 singlegag-gene amplifications were obtained by limiting-dilution RT-PCR from plasma samples of 8 ARV-naïve patients with early acute infection (<30 days, 22 days average) and 8 ARV-naive patients with approximately a year of infection (10 amplicons per patient). Sanger sequencing and NGS SMRT technology (Pacific Biosciences) were implemented to sequence the amplicons. Phylogenetic analysis was performed by using MEGA 6.06. HLA-I (A and B) typing was performed by SSOP-PCR method. The chromatograms were analyzed with Sequencher 4.10. Epitopes and immune-proteosomal cleavages prediction was performed with CBS prediction server for the 30 HLA-A and -B alleles most prevalent in our population with peptide lengths from 8 to 14 mer. Cytotoxic response prediction was performed by using IEDB Analysis Resource. RESULTS After implementing epitope prediction analysis, we identified a total number of 325 possible viral epitopes present in two or more acute or chronic patients. 60.3% (n = 196) of them were present only in acute infection (prevalent acute epitopes) while 39.7% (n = 129) were present only in chronic infection (prevalent chronic epitopes). Within p24, the difference was equally dramatic with 59.4% (79/133) being acute epitopes (p < 0.05). This is consistent with progressive viral adaptation to immune response in time and further supported by the fact that cytotoxic responses prediction showed that acute epitopes are more likely to generate immune response than chronic epitopes. Interestingly, only 27.5% of acute epitopes match the population-level consensus sequence of the virus. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that certain non-consensus viral residues might be transmitted more frequently than consensus-residues when located in immunological relevant positions (epitopes). This observation might be relevant to the rationale behind development of an effective vaccineto reduce viral reservoir and induce functional cure of HIV infection based in prevalent acute epitopes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Dario Damilano
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y SIDA Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Omar Sued
- Fundación Huésped, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Maria Julia Ruiz
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y SIDA Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Yanina Ghiglione
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y SIDA Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Flavia Canitano
- Instituto de Investigaciones Médicas Alfredo Lanari, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Maria Pando
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y SIDA Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Gabriela Turk
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y SIDA Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Pedro Cahn
- Fundación Huésped, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Horacio Salomón
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y SIDA Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Dario Dilernia
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y SIDA Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina; Emory University, Atlanta, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Valenzuela-Ponce H, Alva-Hernández S, Garrido-Rodríguez D, Soto-Nava M, García-Téllez T, Escamilla-Gómez T, García-Morales C, Quiroz-Morales VS, Tapia-Trejo D, Del Arenal-Sánchez S, Prado-Galbarro FJ, Hernández-Juan R, Rodríguez-Aguirre E, Murakami-Ogasawara A, Mejía-Villatoro C, Escobar-Urias IY, Pinzón-Meza R, Pascale JM, Zaldivar Y, Porras-Cortés G, Quant-Durán C, Lorenzana I, Meza RI, Palou EY, Manzanero M, Cedillos RA, Aláez C, Brockman MA, Harrigan PR, Brumme CJ, Brumme ZL, Ávila-Ríos S, Reyes-Terán G. Novel HLA class I associations with HIV-1 control in a unique genetically admixed population. Sci Rep 2018; 8:6111. [PMID: 29666450 PMCID: PMC5904102 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-23849-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2017] [Accepted: 03/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Associations between HLA class I alleles and HIV progression in populations exhibiting Amerindian and Caucasian genetic admixture remain understudied. Using univariable and multivariable analyses we evaluated HLA associations with five HIV clinical parameters in 3,213 HIV clade B-infected, ART-naïve individuals from Mexico and Central America (MEX/CAM cohort). A Canadian cohort (HOMER, n = 1622) was used for comparison. As expected, HLA allele frequencies in MEX/CAM and HOMER differed markedly. In MEX/CAM, 13 HLA-A, 24 HLA-B, and 14 HLA-C alleles were significantly associated with at least one clinical parameter. These included previously described protective (e.g. B*27:05, B*57:01/02/03 and B*58:01) and risk (e.g. B*35:02) alleles, as well as novel ones (e.g. A*03:01, B*15:39 and B*39:02 identified as protective, and A*68:03/05, B*15:30, B*35:12/14, B*39:01/06, B*39:05~C*07:02, and B*40:01~C*03:04 identified as risk). Interestingly, both protective (e.g. B*39:02) and risk (e.g. B*39:01/05/06) subtypes were identified within the common and genetically diverse HLA-B*39 allele group, characteristic to Amerindian populations. While HLA-HIV associations identified in MEX and CAM separately were similar overall (Spearman's rho = 0.33, p = 0.03), region-specific associations were also noted. The identification of both canonical and novel HLA/HIV associations provides a first step towards improved understanding of HIV immune control among unique and understudied Mestizo populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Humberto Valenzuela-Ponce
- National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, CIENI Center for Research in Infectious Diseases, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Selma Alva-Hernández
- National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, CIENI Center for Research in Infectious Diseases, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Daniela Garrido-Rodríguez
- National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, CIENI Center for Research in Infectious Diseases, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Maribel Soto-Nava
- National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, CIENI Center for Research in Infectious Diseases, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Thalía García-Téllez
- National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, CIENI Center for Research in Infectious Diseases, Mexico City, Mexico.,Institut Pasteur, Unité HIV, Inflammation and Persistence, Paris, France
| | - Tania Escamilla-Gómez
- National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, CIENI Center for Research in Infectious Diseases, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Claudia García-Morales
- National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, CIENI Center for Research in Infectious Diseases, Mexico City, Mexico
| | | | - Daniela Tapia-Trejo
- National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, CIENI Center for Research in Infectious Diseases, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Silvia Del Arenal-Sánchez
- National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, CIENI Center for Research in Infectious Diseases, Mexico City, Mexico
| | | | - Ramón Hernández-Juan
- National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, CIENI Center for Research in Infectious Diseases, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Edna Rodríguez-Aguirre
- National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, CIENI Center for Research in Infectious Diseases, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Akio Murakami-Ogasawara
- National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, CIENI Center for Research in Infectious Diseases, Mexico City, Mexico
| | | | | | | | | | - Yamitzel Zaldivar
- Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de la Salud, Panama City, Panama
| | | | | | - Ivette Lorenzana
- Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras, Tegucigalpa, Honduras
| | - Rita I Meza
- Honduras HIV National Laboratory, Tegucigalpa, Honduras
| | - Elsa Y Palou
- Hospital Escuela Universitario, Tegucigalpa, Honduras
| | | | | | - Carmen Aláez
- National Institute of Genomic Medicine, Translational Medicine Laboratory, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Mark A Brockman
- Simon Fraser University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Burnaby, Canada.,British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, Canada
| | | | - Chanson J Brumme
- British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Zabrina L Brumme
- Simon Fraser University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Burnaby, Canada.,British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Santiago Ávila-Ríos
- National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, CIENI Center for Research in Infectious Diseases, Mexico City, Mexico.
| | - Gustavo Reyes-Terán
- National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, CIENI Center for Research in Infectious Diseases, Mexico City, Mexico.
| | | |
Collapse
|
38
|
Munson P, Liu Y, Bratt D, Fuller JT, Hu X, Pavlakis GN, Felber BK, Mullins JI, Fuller DH. Therapeutic conserved elements (CE) DNA vaccine induces strong T-cell responses against highly conserved viral sequences during simian-human immunodeficiency virus infection. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2018; 14:1820-1831. [PMID: 29648490 PMCID: PMC6067903 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2018.1448328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
HIV-specific T-cell responses play a key role in controlling HIV infection, and therapeutic vaccines for HIV that aim to improve viral control will likely need to improve on the T-cell responses induced by infection. However, in the setting of chronic infection, an effective therapeutic vaccine must overcome the enormous viral genetic diversity and the presence of pre-existing T-cell responses that are biased toward immunodominant T-cell epitopes that can readily mutate to evade host immunity and thus potentially provide inferior protection. To address these issues, we investigated a novel, epidermally administered DNA vaccine expressing SIV capsid (p27Gag) homologues of highly conserved elements (CE) of the HIV proteome in macaques experiencing chronic but controlled SHIV infection. We assessed the ability to boost or induce de novo T-cell responses against the conserved but immunologically subdominant CE epitopes. Two groups of animals were immunized with either the CE DNA vaccine or a full-length SIV p57gag DNA vaccine. Prior to vaccination, CE responses were similar in both groups. The full-length p57gag DNA vaccine, which contains the CE, increased overall Gag-specific responses but did not increase CE responses in any animals (0/4). In contrast, the CE DNA vaccine increased CE responses in all (4/4) vaccinated macaques. In SIV infected but unvaccinated macaques, those that developed stronger CE-specific responses during acute infection exhibited lower viral loads. We conclude that CE DNA vaccination can re-direct the immunodominance hierarchy towards CE in the setting of attenuated chronic infection and that induction of these responses by therapeutic vaccination may improve immune control of HIV.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paul Munson
- a Departments of Microbiology, Medicine, Global Health, and Laboratory Medicine , University of Washington , Seattle , WA , US.,b Washington National Primate Research Center , Seattle , WA , US
| | - Yi Liu
- a Departments of Microbiology, Medicine, Global Health, and Laboratory Medicine , University of Washington , Seattle , WA , US
| | - Debra Bratt
- b Washington National Primate Research Center , Seattle , WA , US
| | - James T Fuller
- a Departments of Microbiology, Medicine, Global Health, and Laboratory Medicine , University of Washington , Seattle , WA , US
| | - Xintao Hu
- c Human Retrovirus Pathogenesis Section and Human Retrovirus Section, Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick , Frederick , MD , US
| | - George N Pavlakis
- d Human Retrovirus Section, Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research , National Cancer Institute at Frederick , Frederick , MD , US
| | - Barbara K Felber
- c Human Retrovirus Pathogenesis Section and Human Retrovirus Section, Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick , Frederick , MD , US
| | - James I Mullins
- a Departments of Microbiology, Medicine, Global Health, and Laboratory Medicine , University of Washington , Seattle , WA , US.,e Department of Medicine , University of Washington , Seattle , WA , US.,f Department of Global Health , University of Washington , Seattle , WA , US.,g Department of Laboratory Medicine , University of Washington , Seattle , WA , US
| | - Deborah Heydenburg Fuller
- a Departments of Microbiology, Medicine, Global Health, and Laboratory Medicine , University of Washington , Seattle , WA , US.,b Washington National Primate Research Center , Seattle , WA , US
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Kim BJ, Kim BR, Kook YH, Kim BJ. Development of a Live Recombinant BCG Expressing Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV-1) Gag Using a pMyong2 Vector System: Potential Use As a Novel HIV-1 Vaccine. Front Immunol 2018; 9:643. [PMID: 29636755 PMCID: PMC5880907 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.00643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2017] [Accepted: 03/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Even though the rate of new human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infections is gradually decreasing worldwide, an effective preventive vaccine for HIV-1 is still urgently needed. The recombinant Mycobacterium bovis BCG (rBCG) is promising for the development of an HIV-1 vaccine. Recently, we showed that a recombinant Mycobacterium smegmatis expressing HIV-1 gag in a pMyong2 vector system (rSmeg-pMyong2-p24) increased the efficacy of a vaccine against HIV-1 in mice. Here, we evaluated the potential of an rBCG expressing HIV-1 p24 antigen Gag in pMyong2 (rBCG-pMyong2-p24) in a vaccine application for HIV-1 infection. We found that rBCG-pMyong2-p24 elicited an enhanced HIV-1 p24 Gag expression in rBCG and infected antigen-presenting cells. We also found that compared to rBCG-pAL-p24 in a pAL5000 derived vector system, rBCG-pMyong2-p24 elicited enhanced p24-specific immune responses in vaccinated mice as evidenced by higher levels of HIV-1 Gag-specific CD4 and CD8 T lymphocyte proliferation, gamma interferon ELISPOT cell induction, antibody production, and cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) responses. Furthermore, rBCG-pMyong2-p24 showed a higher level of p24-specific Ab production than rSmeg-pMyong2-p24 in the same pMyong2 vector system. In conclusion, our data indicated that a live recombinant BCG expressing HIV-1 Gag using a pMyong2 vector system, rBCG-pMyong2-p24 elicited an enhanced immune response against HIV-1 infections in a mouse model system. So, rBCG-pMyong2-p24 may have the potential as a prime vaccine in a heterologous prime-boost vaccine strategy for HIV-1 infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Byoung-Jun Kim
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Liver Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Bo-Ram Kim
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Liver Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Yoon-Hoh Kook
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Liver Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Bum-Joon Kim
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Liver Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Bissa M, Forlani G, Zanotto C, Tosi G, De Giuli Morghen C, Accolla RS, Radaelli A. Fowlpoxvirus recombinants coding for the CIITA gene increase the expression of endogenous MHC-II and Fowlpox Gag/Pro and Env SIV transgenes. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0190869. [PMID: 29385169 PMCID: PMC5791965 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0190869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2017] [Accepted: 12/21/2017] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
A complete eradication of an HIV infection has never been achieved by vaccination and the search for new immunogens that can induce long-lasting protective responses is ongoing. Avipoxvirus recombinants are host-restricted for replication to avian species and they do not have the undesired side effects induced by vaccinia recombinants. In particular, Fowlpox (FP) recombinants can express transgenes over long periods and can induce protective immunity in mammals, mainly due to CD4-dependent CD8+ T cells. In this context, the class II transactivator (CIITA) has a pivotal role in triggering the adaptive immune response through induction of the expression of class-II major histocompatibility complex molecule (MHC-II), that can present antigens to CD4+ T helper cells. Here, we report on construction of novel FPgp and FPenv recombinants that express the highly immunogenic SIV Gag-pro and Env structural antigens. Several FP-based recombinants, with single or dual genes, were also developed that express CIITA, driven from H6 or SP promoters. These recombinants were used to infect CEF and Vero cells in vitro and determine transgene expression, which was evaluated by real-time PCR and Western blotting. Subcellular localisation of the different proteins was evaluated by confocal microscopy, whereas HLA-DR or MHC-II expression was measured by flow cytometry. Fowlpox recombinants were also used to infect syngeneic T/SA tumour cells, then injected into Balb/c mice to elicit MHC-II immune response and define the presentation of the SIV transgene products in the presence or absence of FPCIITA. Antibodies to Env were measured by ELISA. Our data show that the H6 promoter was more efficient than SP to drive CIITA expression and that CIITA can enhance the levels of the gag/pro and env gene products only when infection is performed by FP single recombinants. Also, CIITA expression is higher when carried by FP single recombinants than when combined with FPgp or FPenv constructs and can induce HLA-DR cell surface expression. However, in-vivo experiments did not show any significant increase in the humoral response. As CIITA already proved to elicit immunogenicity by improving antigen presentation, further in-vivo experiments should be performed to increase the immune responses. The use of prime/boost immunisation protocols and the oral administration route of the recombinants may enhance the immunogenicity of Env peptides presented by MHC-II and provide CD4+ T-cell stimulation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Massimiliano Bissa
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, via Balzaretti 9, Milan, Italy
| | - Greta Forlani
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Insubria, Via O. Rossi 9, Varese, Italy
| | - Carlo Zanotto
- Department of Medical Biotechnologies and Translational Medicine, University of Milan, via Vanvitelli 32, Milan, Italy
| | - Giovanna Tosi
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Insubria, Via O. Rossi 9, Varese, Italy
| | - Carlo De Giuli Morghen
- Department of Medical Biotechnologies and Translational Medicine, University of Milan, via Vanvitelli 32, Milan, Italy
- Catholic University “Our Lady of Good Counsel”, Rr. Dritan Hoxha, Tirana, Albania
| | - Roberto S. Accolla
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Insubria, Via O. Rossi 9, Varese, Italy
| | - Antonia Radaelli
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, via Balzaretti 9, Milan, Italy
- CNR Institute of Neurosciences, Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology Section, University of Milan, via Vanvitelli 32, Milan, Italy
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Turk G, Ghiglione Y, Hormanstorfer M, Laufer N, Coloccini R, Salido J, Trifone C, Ruiz MJ, Falivene J, Holgado MP, Caruso MP, Figueroa MI, Salomón H, Giavedoni LD, Pando MDLÁ, Gherardi MM, Rabinovich RD, Pury PA, Sued O. Biomarkers of Progression after HIV Acute/Early Infection: Nothing Compares to CD4⁺ T-cell Count? Viruses 2018; 10:E34. [PMID: 29342870 PMCID: PMC5795447 DOI: 10.3390/v10010034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2017] [Revised: 01/10/2018] [Accepted: 01/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Progression of HIV infection is variable among individuals, and definition disease progression biomarkers is still needed. Here, we aimed to categorize the predictive potential of several variables using feature selection methods and decision trees. A total of seventy-five treatment-naïve subjects were enrolled during acute/early HIV infection. CD4⁺ T-cell counts (CD4TC) and viral load (VL) levels were determined at enrollment and for one year. Immune activation, HIV-specific immune response, Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) and C-C chemokine receptor type 5 (CCR5) genotypes, and plasma levels of 39 cytokines were determined. Data were analyzed by machine learning and non-parametric methods. Variable hierarchization was performed by Weka correlation-based feature selection and J48 decision tree. Plasma interleukin (IL)-10, interferon gamma-induced protein (IP)-10, soluble IL-2 receptor alpha (sIL-2Rα) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) levels correlated directly with baseline VL, whereas IL-2, TNF-α, fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-2 and macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1β correlated directly with CD4⁺ T-cell activation (p < 0.05). However, none of these cytokines had good predictive values to distinguish "progressors" from "non-progressors". Similarly, immune activation, HIV-specific immune responses and HLA/CCR5 genotypes had low discrimination power. Baseline CD4TC was the most potent discerning variable with a cut-off of 438 cells/μL (accuracy = 0.93, κ-Cohen = 0.85). Limited discerning power of the other factors might be related to frequency, variability and/or sampling time. Future studies based on decision trees to identify biomarkers of post-treatment control are warrantied.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Turk
- CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y SIDA (INBIRS), Universidad de Buenos Aires- CONICET, Paraguay 2155 Piso 11, Buenos Aires C1121ABG, Argentina.
| | - Yanina Ghiglione
- CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y SIDA (INBIRS), Universidad de Buenos Aires- CONICET, Paraguay 2155 Piso 11, Buenos Aires C1121ABG, Argentina.
| | | | - Natalia Laufer
- CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y SIDA (INBIRS), Universidad de Buenos Aires- CONICET, Paraguay 2155 Piso 11, Buenos Aires C1121ABG, Argentina.
- Hospital Juan A. Fernández, Unidad Enfermedades Infecciosas, Buenos Aires C1425AGP, Argentina.
| | - Romina Coloccini
- CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y SIDA (INBIRS), Universidad de Buenos Aires- CONICET, Paraguay 2155 Piso 11, Buenos Aires C1121ABG, Argentina.
| | - Jimena Salido
- CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y SIDA (INBIRS), Universidad de Buenos Aires- CONICET, Paraguay 2155 Piso 11, Buenos Aires C1121ABG, Argentina.
| | - César Trifone
- CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y SIDA (INBIRS), Universidad de Buenos Aires- CONICET, Paraguay 2155 Piso 11, Buenos Aires C1121ABG, Argentina.
| | - María Julia Ruiz
- CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y SIDA (INBIRS), Universidad de Buenos Aires- CONICET, Paraguay 2155 Piso 11, Buenos Aires C1121ABG, Argentina.
| | - Juliana Falivene
- CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y SIDA (INBIRS), Universidad de Buenos Aires- CONICET, Paraguay 2155 Piso 11, Buenos Aires C1121ABG, Argentina.
| | - María Pía Holgado
- CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y SIDA (INBIRS), Universidad de Buenos Aires- CONICET, Paraguay 2155 Piso 11, Buenos Aires C1121ABG, Argentina.
| | - María Paula Caruso
- CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y SIDA (INBIRS), Universidad de Buenos Aires- CONICET, Paraguay 2155 Piso 11, Buenos Aires C1121ABG, Argentina.
| | - María Inés Figueroa
- Fundación Huésped, Buenos Aires C1202ABB, Argentina.
- Hospital Juan A. Fernández, Unidad Enfermedades Infecciosas, Buenos Aires C1425AGP, Argentina.
| | - Horacio Salomón
- CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y SIDA (INBIRS), Universidad de Buenos Aires- CONICET, Paraguay 2155 Piso 11, Buenos Aires C1121ABG, Argentina.
| | - Luis D Giavedoni
- Southwest National Primate Research Center, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78227, USA.
| | - María de Los Ángeles Pando
- CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y SIDA (INBIRS), Universidad de Buenos Aires- CONICET, Paraguay 2155 Piso 11, Buenos Aires C1121ABG, Argentina.
| | - María Magdalena Gherardi
- CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y SIDA (INBIRS), Universidad de Buenos Aires- CONICET, Paraguay 2155 Piso 11, Buenos Aires C1121ABG, Argentina.
| | - Roberto Daniel Rabinovich
- CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y SIDA (INBIRS), Universidad de Buenos Aires- CONICET, Paraguay 2155 Piso 11, Buenos Aires C1121ABG, Argentina.
| | - Pedro A Pury
- Facultad de Matemática, Astronomía, Física y Computación, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba X5000HUA, Argentina.
| | - Omar Sued
- Fundación Huésped, Buenos Aires C1202ABB, Argentina.
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Mothe B, Brander C. HIV T-Cell Vaccines. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2018; 1075:31-51. [DOI: 10.1007/978-981-13-0484-2_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
|
43
|
Leitman EM, Willberg CB, Tsai MH, Chen H, Buus S, Chen F, Riddell L, Haas D, Fellay J, Goedert JJ, Piechocka-Trocha A, Walker BD, Martin J, Deeks S, Wolinsky SM, Martinson J, Martin M, Qi Y, Sáez-Cirión A, Yang OO, Matthews PC, Carrington M, Goulder PJR. HLA-B*14:02-Restricted Env-Specific CD8 + T-Cell Activity Has Highly Potent Antiviral Efficacy Associated with Immune Control of HIV Infection. J Virol 2017; 91:e00544-17. [PMID: 28878089 PMCID: PMC5660483 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00544-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2017] [Accepted: 08/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Immune control of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV) infection is typically associated with effective Gag-specific CD8+ T-cell responses. We here focus on HLA-B*14, which protects against HIV disease progression, but the immunodominant HLA-B*14-restricted anti-HIV response is Env specific (ERYLKDQQL, HLA-B*14-EL9). A subdominant HLA-B*14-restricted response targets Gag (DRYFKTLRA, HLA-B*14-DA9). Using HLA-B*14/peptide-saporin-conjugated tetramers, we show that HLA-B*14-EL9 is substantially more potent at inhibiting viral replication than HLA-B*14-DA9. HLA-B*14-EL9 also has significantly higher functional avidity (P < 0.0001) and drives stronger selection pressure on the virus than HLA-B*14-DA9. However, these differences were HLA-B*14 subtype specific, applying only to HLA-B*14:02 and not to HLA-B*14:01. Furthermore, the HLA-B*14-associated protection against HIV disease progression is significantly greater for HLA-B*14:02 than for HLA-B*14:01, consistent with the superior antiviral efficacy of the HLA-B*14-EL9 response. Thus, although Gag-specific CD8+ T-cell responses may usually have greater anti-HIV efficacy, factors independent of protein specificity, including functional avidity of individual responses, are also critically important to immune control of HIV.IMPORTANCE In HIV infection, although cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) play a potentially critical role in eradication of viral reservoirs, the features that constitute an effective response remain poorly defined. We focus on HLA-B*14, unique among HLAs associated with control of HIV in that the dominant CTL response is Env specific, not Gag specific. We demonstrate that Env-specific HLA-B*14-restricted activity is substantially more efficacious than the subdominant HLA-B*14-restricted Gag response. Env immunodominance over Gag and strong Env-mediated selection pressure on HIV are observed only in subjects expressing HLA-B*14:02, and not HLA-B*14:01. This reflects the increased functional avidity of the Env response over Gag, substantially more marked for HLA-B*14:02. Finally, we show that HLA-B*14:02 is significantly more strongly associated with viremic control than HLA-B*14:01. These findings indicate that, although Gag-specific CTL may usually have greater anti-HIV efficacy than Env responses, factors independent of protein specificity, including functional avidity, may carry greater weight in mediating effective control of HIV.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ellen M Leitman
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Ming-Han Tsai
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Huabiao Chen
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Søren Buus
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Fabian Chen
- Department of Sexual Health, Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading, United Kingdom
| | - Lynn Riddell
- Integrated Sexual Health Services, Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Trust, Northampton, United Kingdom
| | - David Haas
- Departments of Medicine, Pharmacology, Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Jacques Fellay
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - James J Goedert
- Infections and Immunoepidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Bruce D Walker
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- HIV Pathogenesis Programme, The Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Jeffrey Martin
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Steven Deeks
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Steven M Wolinsky
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Jeremy Martinson
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Maureen Martin
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland, USA
| | - Ying Qi
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland, USA
| | - Asier Sáez-Cirión
- Institut Pasteur, Unité HIV, Inflammation et Persistance, Paris, France
| | - Otto O Yang
- Department of Medicine, Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Philippa C Matthews
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Mary Carrington
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland, USA
| | - Philip J R Goulder
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- HIV Pathogenesis Programme, The Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Leitman EM, Thobakgale CF, Adland E, Ansari MA, Raghwani J, Prendergast AJ, Tudor-Williams G, Kiepiela P, Hemelaar J, Brener J, Tsai MH, Mori M, Riddell L, Luzzi G, Jooste P, Ndung'u T, Walker BD, Pybus OG, Kellam P, Naranbhai V, Matthews PC, Gall A, Goulder PJR. Role of HIV-specific CD8 + T cells in pediatric HIV cure strategies after widespread early viral escape. J Exp Med 2017; 214:3239-3261. [PMID: 28983013 PMCID: PMC5679167 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20162123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2016] [Revised: 06/22/2017] [Accepted: 08/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have suggested greater HIV cure potential among infected children than adults. A major obstacle to HIV eradication in adults is that the viral reservoir is largely comprised of HIV-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) escape variants. We here evaluate the potential for CTL in HIV-infected slow-progressor children to play an effective role in "shock-and-kill" cure strategies. Two distinct subgroups of children were identified on the basis of viral load. Unexpectedly, in both groups, as in adults, HIV-specific CTL drove the selection of escape variants across a range of epitopes within the first weeks of infection. However, in HIV-infected children, but not adults, de novo autologous variant-specific CTL responses were generated, enabling the pediatric immune system to "corner" the virus. Thus, even when escape variants are selected in early infection, the capacity in children to generate variant-specific anti-HIV CTL responses maintains the potential for CTL to contribute to effective shock-and-kill cure strategies in pediatric HIV infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ellen M Leitman
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, England, UK
| | - Christina F Thobakgale
- HIV Pathogenesis Programme, Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Emily Adland
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, England, UK
| | - M Azim Ansari
- Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford, Oxford, England, UK
| | - Jayna Raghwani
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, England, UK
| | - Andrew J Prendergast
- Blizard Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, England, UK.,Zvitambo Institute for Maternal and Child Health Research, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Gareth Tudor-Williams
- Division of Medicine, Department of Paediatrics, Imperial College London, London, England, UK
| | - Photini Kiepiela
- Medical Research Council, Durban, South Africa.,Witwatersrand Health Consortium, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Joris Hemelaar
- Nuffield Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, England, UK.,Linacre Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Jacqui Brener
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, England, UK
| | - Ming-Han Tsai
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, England, UK
| | - Masahiko Mori
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, England, UK.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Sakamoto, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Lynn Riddell
- Northampton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Cliftonville, England, UK
| | - Graz Luzzi
- Buckinghampshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, High Wycombe, England, UK
| | - Pieter Jooste
- Paediatric Department, Kimberley Hospital, Northern Cape, South Africa
| | - Thumbi Ndung'u
- HIV Pathogenesis Programme, Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.,Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA
| | - Bruce D Walker
- HIV Pathogenesis Programme, Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.,Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA
| | - Oliver G Pybus
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, England, UK
| | - Paul Kellam
- Kymab Ltd., Babraham Research Campus, Babraham, England, UK.,Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Imperial College Faculty of Medicine, London, England, UK
| | - Vivek Naranbhai
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA.,Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa, University of KwaZulu Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Philippa C Matthews
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, England, UK
| | - Astrid Gall
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, England, UK
| | - Philip J R Goulder
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, England, UK .,HIV Pathogenesis Programme, Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW The purpose of this article is to review recent advances in immunotherapeutic approaches aiming at reducing the latent HIV reservoir. RECENT FINDINGS HIV-1 establishes early during infection a pool of latently infected cells that persist long term and are largely undetectable to the immune system. Highly active antiretroviral therapy has dramatically improved the life expectancy and life quality of HIV-1-infected individuals, but is incapable of eliminating the pool of latently HIV-1-infected cells. Recent studies have started to test immunotherapeutic interventions in combination with latency reversing agents to reduce the latent HIV-1 reservoir, including approaches aimed at enhancing antiviral T-cell immunity, innate immunity, and virus-specific antibodies. SUMMARY The better understanding of virus-specific immunity and the pathways used by HIV-1 to evade host immune responses have enabled the development of new strategies focusing on targeting latently HIV-1-infected cells, with the goal to reduce the HIV-1 reservoir. Here, we will review recent advances in harnessing effector cells of the immune system, including CD8 T cells and natural killer cells, antiviral antibodies and new immunomodulatory molecules, to target HIV-1 persistence.
Collapse
|
46
|
Mother-to-Child HIV Transmission Bottleneck Selects for Consensus Virus with Lower Gag-Protease-Driven Replication Capacity. J Virol 2017. [PMID: 28637761 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00518-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
In the large majority of cases, HIV infection is established by a single variant, and understanding the characteristics of successfully transmitted variants is relevant to prevention strategies. Few studies have investigated the viral determinants of mother-to-child transmission. To determine the impact of Gag-protease-driven viral replication capacity on mother-to-child transmission, the replication capacities of 148 recombinant viruses encoding plasma-derived Gag-protease from 53 nontransmitter mothers, 48 transmitter mothers, and 47 infected infants were assayed in an HIV-1-inducible green fluorescent protein reporter cell line. All study participants were infected with HIV-1 subtype C. There was no significant difference in replication capacities between the nontransmitter (n = 53) and transmitter (n = 44) mothers (P = 0.48). Infant-derived Gag-protease NL4-3 recombinant viruses (n = 41) were found to have a significantly lower Gag-protease-driven replication capacity than that of viruses derived from the mothers (P < 0.0001 by a paired t test). High percent similarities to consensus subtype C Gag, p17, p24, and protease sequences were also found in the infants (n = 28) in comparison to their mothers (P = 0.07, P = 0.002, P = 0.03, and P = 0.02, respectively, as determined by a paired t test). These data suggest that of the viral quasispecies found in mothers, the HIV mother-to-child transmission bottleneck favors the transmission of consensus-like viruses with lower viral replication capacities.IMPORTANCE Understanding the characteristics of successfully transmitted HIV variants has important implications for preventative interventions. Little is known about the viral determinants of HIV mother-to-child transmission (MTCT). We addressed the role of viral replication capacity driven by Gag, a major structural protein that is a significant determinant of overall viral replicative ability and an important target of the host immune response, in the MTCT bottleneck. This study advances our understanding of the genetic bottleneck in MTCT by revealing that viruses transmitted to infants have a lower replicative ability as well as a higher similarity to the population consensus (in this case HIV subtype C) than those of their mothers. Furthermore, the observation that "consensus-like" virus sequences correspond to lower in vitro replication abilities yet appear to be preferentially transmitted suggests that viral characteristics favoring transmission are decoupled from those that enhance replicative capacity.
Collapse
|
47
|
Gorin AM, Du Y, Liu FY, Zhang TH, Ng HL, Hofmann C, Cumberland WG, Sun R, Yang OO. HIV-1 epitopes presented by MHC class I types associated with superior immune containment of viremia have highly constrained fitness landscapes. PLoS Pathog 2017; 13:e1006541. [PMID: 28787455 PMCID: PMC5560751 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1006541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2017] [Revised: 08/17/2017] [Accepted: 07/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Certain Major Histocompatibility-I (MHC-I) types are associated with superior immune containment of HIV-1 infection by CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), but the mechanisms mediating this containment are difficult to elucidate in vivo. Here we provide controlled assessments of fitness landscapes and CTL-imposed constraints for immunodominant epitopes presented by two protective (B*57 and B*27) and one non-protective (A*02) MHC-I types. Libraries of HIV-1 with saturation mutagenesis of CTL epitopes are propagated with and without CTL selective pressure to define the fitness landscapes for epitope mutation and escape from CTLs via deep sequencing. Immunodominant B*57- and B*27- present epitopes are highly limited in options for fit mutations, with most viable variants recognizable by CTLs, whereas an immunodominant A*02 epitope-presented is highly permissive for mutation, with many options for CTL evasion without loss of viability. Generally, options for evasion overlap considerably between CTL clones despite highly distinct T cell receptors. Finally, patterns of variant recognition suggest population-wide CTL selection for the A*02-presented epitope. Overall, these findings indicate that these protective MHC-I types yield CTL targeting of highly constrained epitopes, and underscore the importance of blocking public escape pathways for CTL-based interventions against HIV-1. Certain MHC class I types are associated with superior immune containment of HIV-1, underscoring the importance of CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). Epitope escape mutations for these types is limited, indicating reduced immune evasion. Two proposed mechanisms are: 1) CTL targeting of highly sequence-constrained epitopes, or 2) more promiscuous CTLs for epitope variation. However, the in vivo complexity of undefined starting virus, multiple targeted epitopes, polyclonal CTL responses against each epitope, and post-hoc evaluation of the interaction renders examination of mechanisms difficult. Here we approach this question with controlled prospective in vitro experiments using saturation mutagenesis of epitopes in clonal HIV-1, propagated in the absence or presence of CTL clones to define the options for epitope mutation and immune evasion by deep sequencing. We find that two immunodominant epitopes presented by protective MHC types are highly mutation-constrained compared to one presented by a non-protective MHC type, whereas CTL promiscuity for epitope variation is not appreciably different. These results suggest that these protective MHC types are associated with limited HIV-1 escape predominately due to intrinsic constraints on epitope mutation, and underscore the importance of focusing the CTL response on highly conserved epitopes for immunotherapies and vaccines.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandr M. Gorin
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Yushen Du
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Franklin Y. Liu
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Tian-Hao Zhang
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Hwee L. Ng
- Division of Infectious Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Christian Hofmann
- Division of Infectious Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - William G. Cumberland
- Department of Biostatistics, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Ren Sun
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Otto O. Yang
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Division of Infectious Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Identification of Interleukin-27 (IL-27)/IL-27 Receptor Subunit Alpha as a Critical Immune Axis for In Vivo HIV Control. J Virol 2017; 91:JVI.00441-17. [PMID: 28592538 PMCID: PMC5533920 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00441-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2017] [Accepted: 05/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Intact and broad immune cell effector functions and specific individual cytokines have been linked to HIV disease outcome, but their relative contribution to HIV control remains unclear. We asked whether the proteome of secreted cytokines and signaling factors in peripheral blood can be used to discover specific pathways critical for host viral control. A custom glass-based microarray, able to measure >600 plasma proteins involved in cell-to-cell communication, was used to measure plasma protein profiles in 96 HIV-infected, treatment-naive individuals with high (>50,000) or low (<10,000 HIV RNA copies/ml) viral loads. Univariate and regression model analysis demonstrate that plasma levels of soluble interleukin-27 (IL-27) are significantly elevated in individuals with high plasma viremia (P < 0.0001) and are positively correlated with proviral HIV-DNA copy numbers in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) (Rho = 0.4011; P = 0.0027). Moreover, soluble IL-27 plasma levels are negatively associated with the breadth and magnitude of the total virus-specific T-cell responses and directly with plasma levels of molecules involved in Wnt/β-catenin signaling. In addition to IL-27, gene expression levels of the specific IL-27 receptor (IL27RA) in PBMC correlated directly with both plasma viral load (Rho = 0.3531; P = 0.0218) and the proviral copy number in the peripheral blood as an indirect measure of partial viral reservoir (Rho = 0.4580; P = 0.0030). These results were validated in unrelated cohorts of early infected subjects as well as subjects before and after initiation of antiretroviral treatment, and they identify IL-27 and its specific receptor as a critical immune axis for the antiviral immune response and as robust correlates of viral load and proviral reservoir size in PBMC. IMPORTANCE The detailed knowledge of immune mechanisms that contribute to HIV control is a prerequisite for the design of effective treatment strategies to achieve HIV cure. Cells communicate with each other by secreting signaling proteins, and the blood is a key conduit for transporting such factors. Investigating the communication factors promoting effective immune responses and having potentially antiviral functions against HIV using a novel focused omics approach (“communicome”) has the potential to significantly improve our knowledge of effective host immunity and accelerate the HIV cure agenda. Including 140 subjects with variable viral loads and measuring the plasma levels of >600 soluble proteins, our data highlight the importance of Th17 cells and Wnt/β-catenin signaling in HIV control and especially identify the IL-27/IL-27 receptor subunit alpha (IL-27RA) axis as a predictor of plasma viral load and proviral copy number in the peripheral blood. These data may provide important guidance to therapeutic approaches in the HIV cure agenda.
Collapse
|
49
|
He X, Wang W, Xu K, Feng X, Zeng Y. Evaluation of the efficacy of a therapeutic HIV vaccine by in vitro stimulation assay. Cell Immunol 2017; 313:67-71. [PMID: 28073435 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellimm.2017.01.002] [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: 03/05/2016] [Revised: 01/02/2017] [Accepted: 01/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
A novel method for HIV vaccine efficacy evaluation was established and the experimental conditions optimized. This novel method was then applied to determine whether a recombinant adenovirus type 5 HIV therapeutic vaccine expressing Gag antigen (Ad5-HIVgag) could stimulate HIV-specific cellular responses in vitro. The results indicated that HIV-specific IFN-gama production lymphocytes were induced by the Ad5-HIVgag vaccine. Compared with other methods, this in vitro stimulation method is safe and time-efficient, and the result is more intuitive. It has the potential to be regarded as a supplement to other methods for evaluating the IFN-gamma production by PBMCs to HIV vaccination.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaozhou He
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100052, China
| | - Wandi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100052, China
| | - Ke Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100052, China
| | - Xia Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100052, China.
| | - Yi Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100052, China.
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Hu X, Valentin A, Dayton F, Kulkarni V, Alicea C, Rosati M, Chowdhury B, Gautam R, Broderick KE, Sardesai NY, Martin MA, Mullins JI, Pavlakis GN, Felber BK. DNA Prime-Boost Vaccine Regimen To Increase Breadth, Magnitude, and Cytotoxicity of the Cellular Immune Responses to Subdominant Gag Epitopes of Simian Immunodeficiency Virus and HIV. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2016; 197:3999-4013. [PMID: 27733554 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1600697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2016] [Accepted: 09/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
HIV sequence diversity and the propensity of eliciting immunodominant responses targeting variable regions of the HIV proteome are hurdles in the development of an effective AIDS vaccine. An HIV-derived conserved element (CE) p24gag plasmid DNA (pDNA) vaccine is able to redirect immunodominant responses to otherwise subdominant and often more vulnerable viral targets. By homology to the HIV immunogen, seven CE were identified in SIV p27Gag Analysis of 31 rhesus macaques vaccinated with full-length SIV gag pDNA showed inefficient induction (58% response rate) of cellular responses targeting these CE. In contrast, all 14 macaques immunized with SIV p27CE pDNA developed robust T cell responses recognizing CE. Vaccination with p27CE pDNA was also critical for the efficient induction and increased the frequency of Ag-specific T cells with cytotoxic potential (granzyme B+ CD107a+) targeting subdominant CE epitopes, compared with the responses elicited by the p57gag pDNA vaccine. Following p27CE pDNA priming, two booster regimens, gag pDNA or codelivery of p27CE+gag pDNA, significantly increased the levels of CE-specific T cells. However, the CE+gag pDNA booster vaccination elicited significantly broader CE epitope recognition, and thus, a more profound alteration of the immunodominance hierarchy. Vaccination with HIV molecules showed that CE+gag pDNA booster regimen further expanded the breadth of HIV CE responses. Hence, SIV/HIV vaccine regimens comprising CE pDNA prime and CE+gag pDNA booster vaccination significantly increased cytotoxic T cell responses to subdominant highly conserved Gag epitopes and maximized response breadth.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xintao Hu
- Human Retrovirus Pathogenesis Section, Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, MD 21702
| | - Antonio Valentin
- Human Retrovirus Section, Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, MD 21702
| | - Frances Dayton
- Human Retrovirus Pathogenesis Section, Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, MD 21702
| | - Viraj Kulkarni
- Human Retrovirus Pathogenesis Section, Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, MD 21702
| | - Candido Alicea
- Human Retrovirus Pathogenesis Section, Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, MD 21702
| | - Margherita Rosati
- Human Retrovirus Section, Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, MD 21702
| | - Bhabadeb Chowdhury
- Human Retrovirus Section, Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, MD 21702
| | - Rajeev Gautam
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | | | | | - Malcolm A Martin
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - James I Mullins
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195.,Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195.,Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195; and.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - George N Pavlakis
- Human Retrovirus Section, Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, MD 21702;
| | - Barbara K Felber
- Human Retrovirus Pathogenesis Section, Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, MD 21702;
| |
Collapse
|