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de Lima MR, Leandro ACCS, de Souza AL, Barradas MM, Roma EH, Fernandes ATG, Galdino-Silva G, Carvalho JKMR, Marchevsky RS, Coelho JMCO, Gonçalves EDC, VandeBerg JL, Silva CL, Bonecini-Almeida MDG. Safety and Immunogenicity of an In Vivo Muscle Electroporation Delivery System for DNA- hsp65 Tuberculosis Vaccine in Cynomolgus Monkeys. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:1863. [PMID: 38140266 PMCID: PMC10747856 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11121863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
A Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is still the only licensed vaccine for the prevention of tuberculosis, providing limited protection against Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in adulthood. New advances in the delivery of DNA vaccines by electroporation have been made in the past decade. We evaluated the safety and immunogenicity of the DNA-hsp65 vaccine administered by intramuscular electroporation (EP) in cynomolgus macaques. Animals received three doses of DNA-hsp65 at 30-day intervals. We demonstrated that intramuscular electroporated DNA-hsp65 vaccine immunization of cynomolgus macaques was safe, and there were no vaccine-related effects on hematological, renal, or hepatic profiles, compared to the pre-vaccination parameters. No tuberculin skin test conversion nor lung X-ray alteration was identified. Further, low and transient peripheral cellular immune response and cytokine expression were observed, primarily after the third dose of the DNA-hsp65 vaccine. Electroporated DNA-hsp65 vaccination is safe but provides limited enhancement of peripheral cellular immune responses. Preclinical vaccine trials with DNA-hsp65 delivered via EP may include a combination of plasmid cytokine adjuvant and/or protein prime-boost regimen, to help the induction of a stronger cellular immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monique Ribeiro de Lima
- Laboratory of Immunology and Immunogenetic in Infectious Diseases, Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-360, RJ, Brazil; (M.R.d.L.); (A.C.C.S.L.); (A.L.d.S.); (M.M.B.); (E.H.R.); (A.T.G.F.); (G.G.-S.); (J.K.M.R.C.)
| | - Ana Cristina C. S. Leandro
- Laboratory of Immunology and Immunogenetic in Infectious Diseases, Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-360, RJ, Brazil; (M.R.d.L.); (A.C.C.S.L.); (A.L.d.S.); (M.M.B.); (E.H.R.); (A.T.G.F.); (G.G.-S.); (J.K.M.R.C.)
- Division of Human Genetics, South Texas Diabetes and Obesity Institute, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Brownsville, TX 78520, USA;
| | - Andreia Lamoglia de Souza
- Laboratory of Immunology and Immunogenetic in Infectious Diseases, Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-360, RJ, Brazil; (M.R.d.L.); (A.C.C.S.L.); (A.L.d.S.); (M.M.B.); (E.H.R.); (A.T.G.F.); (G.G.-S.); (J.K.M.R.C.)
| | - Marcio Mantuano Barradas
- Laboratory of Immunology and Immunogenetic in Infectious Diseases, Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-360, RJ, Brazil; (M.R.d.L.); (A.C.C.S.L.); (A.L.d.S.); (M.M.B.); (E.H.R.); (A.T.G.F.); (G.G.-S.); (J.K.M.R.C.)
| | - Eric Henrique Roma
- Laboratory of Immunology and Immunogenetic in Infectious Diseases, Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-360, RJ, Brazil; (M.R.d.L.); (A.C.C.S.L.); (A.L.d.S.); (M.M.B.); (E.H.R.); (A.T.G.F.); (G.G.-S.); (J.K.M.R.C.)
| | - Ana Teresa Gomes Fernandes
- Laboratory of Immunology and Immunogenetic in Infectious Diseases, Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-360, RJ, Brazil; (M.R.d.L.); (A.C.C.S.L.); (A.L.d.S.); (M.M.B.); (E.H.R.); (A.T.G.F.); (G.G.-S.); (J.K.M.R.C.)
| | - Gabrielle Galdino-Silva
- Laboratory of Immunology and Immunogenetic in Infectious Diseases, Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-360, RJ, Brazil; (M.R.d.L.); (A.C.C.S.L.); (A.L.d.S.); (M.M.B.); (E.H.R.); (A.T.G.F.); (G.G.-S.); (J.K.M.R.C.)
| | - Joyce Katiuccia M. Ramos Carvalho
- Laboratory of Immunology and Immunogenetic in Infectious Diseases, Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-360, RJ, Brazil; (M.R.d.L.); (A.C.C.S.L.); (A.L.d.S.); (M.M.B.); (E.H.R.); (A.T.G.F.); (G.G.-S.); (J.K.M.R.C.)
| | - Renato Sergio Marchevsky
- Laboratory of Neurovirulence, Instituto de Biotecnologia em Imunobiológicos, Biomanguinhos, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-360, RJ, Brazil;
| | - Janice M. C. Oliveira Coelho
- Laboratory of Pathology, Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-360, RJ, Brazil;
| | | | - John L. VandeBerg
- Division of Human Genetics, South Texas Diabetes and Obesity Institute, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Brownsville, TX 78520, USA;
| | - Celio Lopes Silva
- Farmacore Biotecnologia Ltda, Ribeirão Preto 14056-680, SP, Brazil; (E.D.C.G.); (C.L.S.)
- Laboratory for Research and Development of Immunobiologicals, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14049-900, SP, Brazil
| | - Maria da Gloria Bonecini-Almeida
- Laboratory of Immunology and Immunogenetic in Infectious Diseases, Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-360, RJ, Brazil; (M.R.d.L.); (A.C.C.S.L.); (A.L.d.S.); (M.M.B.); (E.H.R.); (A.T.G.F.); (G.G.-S.); (J.K.M.R.C.)
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Dross S, Venkataraman R, Patel S, Huang ML, Bollard CM, Rosati M, Pavlakis GN, Felber BK, Bar KJ, Shaw GM, Jerome KR, Mullins JI, Kiem HP, Fuller DH, Peterson CW. Efficient ex vivo expansion of conserved element vaccine-specific CD8+ T-cells from SHIV-infected, ART-suppressed nonhuman primates. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1188018. [PMID: 37207227 PMCID: PMC10189133 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1188018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023] Open
Abstract
HIV-specific T cells are necessary for control of HIV-1 replication but are largely insufficient for viral clearance. This is due in part to these cells' recognition of immunodominant but variable regions of the virus, which facilitates viral escape via mutations that do not incur viral fitness costs. HIV-specific T cells targeting conserved viral elements are associated with viral control but are relatively infrequent in people living with HIV (PLWH). The goal of this study was to increase the number of these cells via an ex vivo cell manufacturing approach derived from our clinically-validated HIV-specific expanded T-cell (HXTC) process. Using a nonhuman primate (NHP) model of HIV infection, we sought to determine i) the feasibility of manufacturing ex vivo-expanded virus-specific T cells targeting viral conserved elements (CE, CE-XTCs), ii) the in vivo safety of these products, and iii) the impact of simian/human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV) challenge on their expansion, activity, and function. NHP CE-XTCs expanded up to 10-fold following co-culture with the combination of primary dendritic cells (DCs), PHA blasts pulsed with CE peptides, irradiated GM-K562 feeder cells, and autologous T cells from CE-vaccinated NHP. The resulting CE-XTC products contained high frequencies of CE-specific, polyfunctional T cells. However, consistent with prior studies with human HXTC and these cells' predominant CD8+ effector phenotype, we did not observe significant differences in CE-XTC persistence or SHIV acquisition in two CE-XTC-infused NHP compared to two control NHP. These data support the safety and feasibility of our approach and underscore the need for continued development of CE-XTC and similar cell-based strategies to redirect and increase the potency of cellular virus-specific adaptive immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Dross
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
- Washington National Primate Research Center, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Rasika Venkataraman
- Division of Clinical Research, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Shabnum Patel
- Center for Cancer and Immunology Research, Children’s National Hospital and Department of Pediatrics, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Meei-Li Huang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Catherine M. Bollard
- Center for Cancer and Immunology Research, Children’s National Hospital and Department of Pediatrics, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Margherita Rosati
- Human Retrovirus Section, Vaccine Branch, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - George N. Pavlakis
- Human Retrovirus Section, Vaccine Branch, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Barbara K. Felber
- Human Retrovirus Pathogenesis Section, Vaccine Branch, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Katharine J. Bar
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - George M. Shaw
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Keith R. Jerome
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
- Division of Vaccine and Infectious Diseases, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - James I. Mullins
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Hans-Peter Kiem
- Washington National Primate Research Center, Seattle, WA, United States
- Division of Clinical Research, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, United States
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Deborah Heydenburg Fuller
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
- Washington National Primate Research Center, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Christopher W. Peterson
- Division of Clinical Research, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, United States
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
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Valentin A, Bergamaschi C, Rosati M, Angel M, Burns R, Agarwal M, Gergen J, Petsch B, Oostvogels L, Loeliger E, Chew KW, Deeks SG, Mullins JI, Pavlakis GN, Felber BK. Comparative immunogenicity of an mRNA/LNP and a DNA vaccine targeting HIV gag conserved elements in macaques. Front Immunol 2022; 13:945706. [PMID: 35935984 PMCID: PMC9355630 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.945706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunogenicity of HIV-1 mRNA vaccine regimens was analyzed in a non-human primate animal model. Rhesus macaques immunized with mRNA in lipid nanoparticle (mRNA/LNP) formulation expressing HIV-1 Gag and Gag conserved regions (CE) as immunogens developed robust, durable antibody responses but low adaptive T-cell responses. Augmentation of the dose resulted in modest increases in vaccine-induced cellular immunity, with no difference in humoral responses. The gag mRNA/lipid nanoparticle (LNP) vaccine provided suboptimal priming of T cell responses for a heterologous DNA booster vaccination regimen. In contrast, a single immunization with gag mRNA/LNP efficiently boosted both humoral and cellular responses in macaques previously primed by a gag DNA-based vaccine. These anamnestic cellular responses were mediated by activated CD8+ T cells with a phenotype of differentiated T-bet+ cytotoxic memory T lymphocytes. The heterologous prime/boost regimens combining DNA and mRNA/LNP vaccine modalities maximized vaccine-induced cellular and humoral immune responses. Analysis of cytokine responses revealed a transient systemic signature characterized by the release of type I interferon, IL-15 and IFN-related chemokines. The pro-inflammatory status induced by the mRNA/LNP vaccine was also characterized by IL-23 and IL-6, concomitant with the release of IL-17 family of cytokines. Overall, the strong boost of cellular and humoral immunity induced by the mRNA/LNP vaccine suggests that it could be useful as a prophylactic vaccine in heterologous prime/boost modality and in immune therapeutic interventions against HIV infection or other chronic human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Valentin
- Human Retrovirus Section, Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Cristina Bergamaschi
- Human Retrovirus Pathogenesis Section, Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Margherita Rosati
- Human Retrovirus Section, Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Matthew Angel
- Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cncer Institute, Bethesda, MD, United States
- Center for Cancer Research Collaborative Bioinformatics Resource, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Robert Burns
- Human Retrovirus Pathogenesis Section, Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Mahesh Agarwal
- Human Retrovirus Pathogenesis Section, Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, MD, United States
| | | | | | | | | | - Kara W. Chew
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Steven G. Deeks
- Division of HIV, Infectious Diseases and Global Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - James I. Mullins
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - George N. Pavlakis
- Human Retrovirus Section, Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Barbara K. Felber
- Human Retrovirus Pathogenesis Section, Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, MD, United States
- *Correspondence: Barbara K. Felber,
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Cafaro A, Ensoli B. HIV-1 therapeutic vaccines in clinical development to intensify or replace antiretroviral therapy: the promising results of the Tat vaccine. Expert Rev Vaccines 2022; 21:1243-1253. [PMID: 35695268 DOI: 10.1080/14760584.2022.2089119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Upon the introduction of the combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), HIV infection has become a chronic disease. However, cART is unable to eradicate the virus and fails to restore the CD4 counts in about 30% of the treated individuals. Furthermore, treatment is life-long, and it does not protect from morbidities typically observed in the elderly. Therapeutic vaccines represent the most cost-effective intervention to intensify or replace cART. AREAS COVERED Here, we briefly discuss the obstacles to the development and evaluation of the efficacy of therapeutic vaccines and review recent approaches evaluated in clinical trials. EXPERT OPINION Although vaccines were generally safe and immunogenic, evidence of efficacy was negligible or marginal in most trials. A notable exception is the therapeutic Tat vaccine approach showing promising results of cART intensification, with CD4 T-cell increase and proviral load reduction beyond those afforded by cART alone. Rationale and evidence in support of choosing Tat as the vaccine target are thoroughly discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurelio Cafaro
- National HIV/AIDS Research Center, Istituto Superiore Di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Barbara Ensoli
- National HIV/AIDS Research Center, Istituto Superiore Di Sanità, Rome, Italy
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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.
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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
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Priming with DNA Expressing Trimeric HIV V1V2 Alters the Immune Hierarchy Favoring the Development of V2-Specific Antibodies in Rhesus Macaques. J Virol 2020; 95:JVI.01193-20. [PMID: 33087466 PMCID: PMC7944456 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01193-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The RV144 vaccine trial revealed a correlation between reduced risk of HIV infection and the level of nonneutralizing-antibody (Ab) responses targeting specific epitopes in the second variable domain (V2) of the HIV gp120 envelope (Env) protein, suggesting this region as a target for vaccine development. To favor induction of V2-specific Abs, we developed a vaccine regimen that included priming with DNA expressing an HIV V1V2 trimeric scaffold immunogen followed by booster immunizations with a combination of DNA and protein in rhesus macaques. Priming vaccination with DNA expressing the HIV recombinant subtype CRF01_AE V1V2 scaffold induced higher and broader V2-specific Ab responses than vaccination with DNA expressing CRF01_AE gp145 Env. Abs recognizing the V2 peptide that was reported as a critical target in RV144 developed only after the priming immunization with V1V2 DNA. The V2-specific Abs showed several nonneutralizing Fc-mediated functions, including ADCP and C1q binding. Importantly, robust V2-specific Abs were maintained upon boosting with gp145 DNA and gp120 protein coimmunization. In conclusion, priming with DNA expressing the trimeric V1V2 scaffold alters the hierarchy of humoral immune responses to V2 region epitopes, providing a method for more efficient induction and maintenance of V2-specific Env Abs associated with reduced risk of HIV infection.IMPORTANCE The aim of this work was to design and test a vaccine regimen focusing the immune response on targets associated with infection prevention. We demonstrated that priming with a DNA vaccine expressing only the HIV Env V1V2 region induces Ab responses targeting the critical region in V2 associated with protection. This work shows that V1V2 scaffold DNA priming immunization provides a method to focus immune responses to the desired target region, in the absence of immune interference by other epitopes. This induced immune responses with improved recognition of epitopes important for protective immunity, namely, V2-specific humoral immune responses inversely correlating with HIV risk of infection in the RV144 trial.
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D'haese S, Lacroix C, Garcia F, Plana M, Ruta S, Vanham G, Verrier B, Aerts JL. Off the beaten path: Novel mRNA-nanoformulations for therapeutic vaccination against HIV. J Control Release 2020; 330:1016-1033. [PMID: 33181204 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2020.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Revised: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Over the last few years, immunotherapy for HIV in general and therapeutic vaccination in particular, has received a tremendous boost, both in preclinical research and in clinical applications. This interest is based on the evidence that the immune system plays a crucial role in controlling HIV infection, as shown for long-term non-progressors and elite controllers, and that immune responses can be manipulated towards targeting conserved epitopes. So far, the most successful approach has been vaccination with autologous dendritic cells (DCs) loaded ex vivo with antigens and activation signals. Although this approach offers much promise, it also comes with significant drawbacks such as the requirement of a specialized infrastructure and expertise, as well as major challenges for logistics and storage, making it extremely time consuming and costly. Therefore, methods are being developed to avoid the use of ex vivo generated, autologous DCs. One of these methods is based on mRNA for therapeutic vaccination. mRNA has proven to be a very promising vaccine platform, as the coding information for any desired protein, including antigens and activation signals, can be generated in a very short period of time, showing promise both as an off-the-shelf therapy and as a personalized approach. However, an important drawback of this approach is the short half-life of native mRNA, due to the presence of ambient RNases. In addition, proper immunization requires that the antigens are expressed, processed and presented at the right immunological site (e.g. the lymphoid tissues). An ambivalent aspect of mRNA as a vaccine is its capacity to induce type I interferons, which can have beneficial adjuvant effects, but also deleterious effects on mRNA stability and translation. Thus, proper formulation of the mRNA is crucially important. Many approaches for RNA formulation have already been tested, with mixed success. In this review we discuss the state-of-the-art and future trends for mRNA-nanoparticle formulations for HIV vaccination, both in the prophylactic and in the therapeutic setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sigrid D'haese
- Neuro-Aging & Viro-Immunotherapy (NAVI), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Céline Lacroix
- Institute for the Biology and Chemistry of Proteins (IBCP), Lyon, France
| | | | | | - Simona Ruta
- Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Stefan S. Nicolau Institute of Virology, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Guido Vanham
- Institute of Tropical Medicine and University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Bernard Verrier
- Institute for the Biology and Chemistry of Proteins (IBCP), Lyon, France
| | - Joeri L Aerts
- Neuro-Aging & Viro-Immunotherapy (NAVI), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium.
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Abstract
Development of improved approaches for HIV-1 prevention will likely be required for a durable end to the global AIDS pandemic. Recent advances in preclinical studies and early phase clinical trials offer renewed promise for immunologic strategies for blocking acquisition of HIV-1 infection. Clinical trials are currently underway to evaluate the efficacy of two vaccine candidates and a broadly neutralizing antibody (bNAb) to prevent HIV-1 infection in humans. However, the vast diversity of HIV-1 is a major challenge for both active and passive immunization. Here we review current immunologic strategies for HIV-1 prevention, with a focus on current and next-generation vaccines and bNAbs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn E Stephenson
- Center for Virology and Vaccine Research, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA;
- Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, MIT, and Harvard, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA
| | - Kshitij Wagh
- Theoretical Biology and Biophysics Group, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA
- New Mexico Consortium, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA
| | - Bette Korber
- Theoretical Biology and Biophysics Group, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA
- New Mexico Consortium, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA
| | - Dan H Barouch
- Center for Virology and Vaccine Research, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA;
- Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, MIT, and Harvard, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA
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10
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Abstract
Despite 30 years of effort, we do not have an effective HIV-1 vaccine. Over the past decade, the HIV-1 vaccine field has shifted emphasis toward antibody-based vaccine strategies, following a lack of efficacy in CD8+ T-cell-based vaccine trials. Several lines of evidence, however, suggest that improved CD8+ T-cell-directed strategies could benefit an HIV-1 vaccine. First, T-cell responses often correlate with good outcomes in non-human primate (NHP) challenge models. Second, subgroup studies of two no-efficacy human clinical vaccine trials found associations between CD8+ T-cell responses and protective effects. Finally, improved strategies can increase the breadth and potency of CD8+ T-cell responses, direct them toward preferred epitopes (that are highly conserved and/or associated with viral control), or both. Optimized CD8+ T-cell vaccine strategies are promising in both prophylactic and therapeutic settings. This commentary briefly outlines some encouraging findings from T-cell vaccine studies, and then directly compares key features of some T-cell vaccine candidates currently in the clinical pipeline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bette Korber
- Theoretical Biology and Biophysics, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA
| | - Will Fischer
- Theoretical Biology and Biophysics, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA
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11
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Hanke T. Aiming for protective T-cell responses: a focus on the first generation conserved-region HIVconsv vaccines in preventive and therapeutic clinical trials. Expert Rev Vaccines 2019; 18:1029-1041. [PMID: 31613649 DOI: 10.1080/14760584.2019.1675518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: Despite life-saving antiretroviral drugs, an effective HIV-1 vaccine is the best solution and likely a necessary component of any strategy for halting the AIDS epidemic. The currently prevailing aim is to pursue antibody-mediated vaccine protection. With ample evidence for the ability of T cells to control HIV-1 replication, their protective potential should be also harnessed by vaccination. The challenge is to elicit not just any, but protective T cells.Areas covered: This article reviews the clinical experience with the first-generation conserved-region immunogen HIVconsv delivered by combinations of plasmid DNA, simian adenovirus, and poxvirus MVA. The aim of our strategy is to induce strong and broad T cells targeting functionally important parts of HIV-1 proteins common to global variants. These vaccines were tested in eight phase 1/2 preventive and therapeutic clinical trials in Europe and Africa, and induced high frequencies of broadly specific CD8+ T cells capable of in vitro inhibition of four major HIV-1 clades A, B, C and D, and in combination with latency-reactivating agent provided a signal of drug-free virological control in early treated patients.Expert opinion: A number of critical T-cell traits have to come together at the same time to achieve control over HIV-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomáš Hanke
- The Jenner Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,International Research Center for Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
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12
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Larijani MS, Sadat SM, Bolhassani A, Pouriayevali MH, Bahramali G, Ramezani A. In Silico Design and Immunologic Evaluation of HIV-1 p24-Nef Fusion Protein to Approach a Therapeutic Vaccine Candidate. Curr HIV Res 2019; 16:322-337. [PMID: 30605062 PMCID: PMC6446525 DOI: 10.2174/1570162x17666190102151717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2018] [Revised: 12/04/2018] [Accepted: 12/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Background: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) has been a major glob-al health concern for over 38 years. No safe and effective preventive or therapeutic vaccine has been developed although many products have been investigated. Computational methods have facilitated vaccine developments in recent decades. Among HIV-1 proteins, p24 and Nef are two suitable targets to provoke the cellular immune response. However, the fusion form of these two proteins has not been analyzed in silico yet. Objective: This study aimed at the evaluation of possible fusion forms of p24 and Nef in order to achieve a potential therapeutic subunit vaccine against HIV-1. Method: In this study, various computational approaches have been applied to predict the most effec-tive fusion form of p24-Nef including CTL (Cytotoxic T lymphocytes) response, immunogenicity, conservation and population coverage. Moreover, binding to MHC (Major histocompatibility com-plex) molecules was assessed in both human and BALB/c. Results: After analyzing six possible fusion protein forms using AAY linker, we came up with the most practical form of p24 from 80 to 231 and Nef from 120 to 150 regions (according to their refer-ence sequence of HXB2 strain) using an AAY linker, based on their peptides affinity to MHC mole-cules which are located in a conserved region among different virus clades. The selected fusion protein contains seventeen MHC I antigenic epitopes, among them KRWIILGLN, YKRWIILGL, DIAG-TTSTL and FPDWQNYTP are fully conserved between the virus clades. Furthermore, analyzed class I CTL epitopes showed greater affinity binding to HLA-B 57*01, HLA-B*51:01 and HLA-B 27*02 molecules. The population coverage with the rate of >70% coverage in the Persian population supports this truncated form as an appropriate candidate against HIV-I virus. Conclusion: The predicted fusion protein, p24-AAY-Nef in a truncated form with a high rate of T cell epitopes and high conservancy rate among different clades, provides a helpful model for developing a therapeutic vaccine candidate against HIV-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mona Sadat Larijani
- Hepatitis, AIDS and Bloodborne Diseases Department, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyed Mehdi Sadat
- Hepatitis, AIDS and Bloodborne Diseases Department, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Azam Bolhassani
- Hepatitis, AIDS and Bloodborne Diseases Department, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Hassan Pouriayevali
- Department of Arboviruses and Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers (National Ref Lab), Pasteur Institute of Iran (IPI) Tehran, Iran
| | - Golnaz Bahramali
- Hepatitis, AIDS and Bloodborne Diseases Department, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Amitis Ramezani
- Hepatitis, AIDS and Bloodborne Diseases Department, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
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13
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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.
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14
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Hu X, Lu Z, Valentin A, Rosati M, Broderick KE, Sardesai NY, Marx PA, Mullins JI, Pavlakis GN, Felber BK. Gag and env conserved element CE DNA vaccines elicit broad cytotoxic T cell responses targeting subdominant epitopes of HIV and SIV Able to recognize virus-infected cells in macaques. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2018; 14:2163-2177. [PMID: 29939820 PMCID: PMC6183272 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2018.1489949] [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: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
HIV sequence diversity and the propensity of eliciting immunodominant responses targeting inessential variable regions are hurdles in the development of an effective AIDS vaccine. We developed a DNA vaccine comprising conserved elements (CE) of SIV p27Gag and HIV-1 Env and found that priming vaccination with CE DNA is critical to efficiently overcome the dominance imposed by Gag and Env variable regions. Here, we show that DNA vaccinated macaques receiving the CE prime/CE+full-length DNA co-delivery booster vaccine regimens developed broad, potent and durable cytotoxic T cell responses targeting conserved protein segments of SIV Gag and HIV Env. Gag CE-specific T cells showed robust anamnestic responses upon infection with SIVmac239 which led to the identification of CE-specific cytotoxic lymphocytes able to recognize epitopes covering distinct CE on the surface of SIV infected cells in vivo. Though not controlling infection overall, we found an inverse correlation between Gag CE-specific CD8+ T cell responses and peak viremia. The T cell responses induced by the HIV Env CE immunogen were recalled in some animals upon SIV infection, leading to the identification of two cross-reactive epitopes between HIV and SIV Env based in sequence homology. These data demonstrate that a vaccine combining Gag and Env CE DNA subverted the normal immunodominance patterns, eliciting immune responses that included subdominant, highly conserved epitopes. These vaccine regimens augment cytotoxic T cell responses to highly conserved epitopes in the viral proteome and maximize response breadth. The vaccine-induced CE-specific T cells were expanded upon SIV infection, indicating that the predicted CE epitopes incorporated in the DNA vaccine are processed and exposed by infected cells in their natural context within the viral proteome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xintao Hu
- a Human Retrovirus Pathogenesis Section, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick , Frederick , MD , USA
| | - Zhongyan Lu
- a Human Retrovirus Pathogenesis Section, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick , Frederick , MD , USA
| | - Antonio Valentin
- b Human Retrovirus Section, Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research , National Cancer Institute at Frederick , Frederick, Frederick , MD , USA
| | - Margherita Rosati
- b Human Retrovirus Section, Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research , National Cancer Institute at Frederick , Frederick, Frederick , MD , USA
| | | | | | - Preston A Marx
- d Tulane National Primate Research Center and Department of Tropical Medicine, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine , Tulane University , New Orleans , LA , USA
| | - James I Mullins
- e Departments of Microbiology, Medicine and Laboratory Medicine , University of Washington , Seattle , WA , USA
| | - George N Pavlakis
- b Human Retrovirus Section, Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research , National Cancer Institute at Frederick , Frederick, Frederick , MD , USA
| | - Barbara K Felber
- a Human Retrovirus Pathogenesis Section, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick , Frederick , MD , USA
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15
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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.
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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
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16
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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.
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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
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17
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Abstract
A key unresolved challenge for developing an effective HIV‐1 vaccine is the discovery of strategies to elicit immune responses that are able to cross‐protect against a significant fraction of the diverse viruses that are circulating worldwide. Here, we summarize some of the immunological implications of HIV‐1 diversity, and outline the rationale behind several polyvalent vaccine design strategies that are currently under evaluation. Vaccine‐elicited T‐cell responses, which contribute to the control of HIV‐1 in natural infections, are currently being considered in both prevention and treatment settings. Approaches now in preclinical and human trials include full proteins in novel vectors, concatenated conserved protein regions, and polyvalent strategies that improve coverage of epitope diversity and enhance the cross‐reactivity of responses. While many barriers to vaccine induction of broadly neutralizing antibody (bNAb) responses remain, epitope diversification has emerged as both a challenge and an opportunity. Recent longitudinal studies have traced the emergence of bNAbs in HIV‐1 infection, inspiring novel approaches to recapitulate and accelerate the events that give rise to potent bNAb in vivo. In this review, we have selected two such lineage‐based design strategies to illustrate how such in‐depth analysis can offer conceptual improvements that may bring us closer to an effective vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bette Korber
- Theoretical Biology and Biophysics, T6, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA.,New Mexico Consortium, Los Alamos, NM, USA
| | - Peter Hraber
- Theoretical Biology and Biophysics, T6, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA
| | - Kshitij Wagh
- Theoretical Biology and Biophysics, T6, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA
| | - Beatrice H Hahn
- Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Department of Microbiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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18
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Hu X, Valentin A, Rosati M, Manocheewa S, Alicea C, Chowdhury B, Bear J, Broderick KE, Sardesai NY, Gall SL, Mullins JI, Pavlakis GN, Felber BK. HIV Env conserved element DNA vaccine alters immunodominance in macaques. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2017; 13:2859-2871. [PMID: 28678607 PMCID: PMC5718827 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2017.1339852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Sequence diversity and immunodominance are major obstacles in the design of an effective vaccine against HIV. HIV Env is a highly-glycosylated protein composed of ‘conserved’ and ‘variable’ regions. The latter contains immunodominant epitopes that are frequently targeted by the immune system resulting in the generation of immune escape variants. This work describes 12 regions in HIV Env that are highly conserved throughout the known HIV M Group sequences (Env CE), and are poorly immunogenic in macaques vaccinated with full-length Env expressing DNA vaccines. Two versions of plasmids encoding the 12 Env CE were generated, differing by 0–5 AA per CE to maximize the inclusion of commonly detected variants. In contrast to the full-length env DNA vaccine, vaccination of macaques with a combination of these 2 Env CE DNA induced robust, durable cellular immune responses with a significant fraction of CD8+ T cells with cytotoxic phenotype (Granzyme B+ and CD107a+). Although inefficient in generating primary responses to the CE, boosting of the Env CE DNA primed macaques with the intact env DNA vaccine potently augmented pre-existing immunity, increasing magnitude, breadth and cytotoxicity of the cellular responses. Fine mapping showed that 7 of the 12 CE elicited T cell responses. Env CE DNA also induced humoral responses able to recognize the full-length Env. Env CE plasmids are therefore capable of inducing durable responses to highly conserved regions of Env that are frequently absent after Env vaccination or immunologically subdominant. These modified antigens are candidates for use as prophylactic and therapeutic HIV vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xintao Hu
- a Human Retrovirus Pathogenesis Section, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick , Frederick , MD , USA
| | - Antonio Valentin
- b Human Retrovirus Section, Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick , Frederick , MD , USA
| | - Margherita Rosati
- b Human Retrovirus Section, Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick , Frederick , MD , USA
| | - Siriphan Manocheewa
- c Departments of Microbiology , University of Washington , Seattle , WA , USA
| | - Candido Alicea
- a Human Retrovirus Pathogenesis Section, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick , Frederick , MD , USA
| | - Bhabadeb Chowdhury
- b Human Retrovirus Section, Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick , Frederick , MD , USA
| | - Jenifer Bear
- a Human Retrovirus Pathogenesis Section, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick , Frederick , MD , USA
| | | | | | - Sylvie Le Gall
- e Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School , Cambridge , MA , USA
| | - James I Mullins
- c Departments of Microbiology , University of Washington , Seattle , WA , USA.,f Departments of Medicine , University of Washington , Seattle , WA , USA.,g Departments of Global Health , University of Washington , Seattle , WA , USA.,h Departments of Laboratory Medicine , University of Washington , Seattle , WA , USA
| | - George N Pavlakis
- b Human Retrovirus Section, Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick , Frederick , MD , USA
| | - Barbara K Felber
- a Human Retrovirus Pathogenesis Section, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick , Frederick , MD , USA
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19
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Xu H, Andersson AM, Ragonnaud E, Boilesen D, Tolver A, Jensen BAH, Blanchard JL, Nicosia A, Folgori A, Colloca S, Cortese R, Thomsen AR, Christensen JP, Veazey RS, Holst PJ. Mucosal Vaccination with Heterologous Viral Vectored Vaccine Targeting Subdominant SIV Accessory Antigens Strongly Inhibits Early Viral Replication. EBioMedicine 2017; 18:204-215. [PMID: 28302457 PMCID: PMC5405164 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2017.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2017] [Revised: 02/17/2017] [Accepted: 03/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Conventional HIV T cell vaccine strategies have not been successful in containing acute peak viremia, nor in providing long-term control. We immunized rhesus macaques intramuscularly and rectally using a heterologous adenovirus vectored SIV vaccine regimen encoding normally weakly immunogenic tat, vif, rev and vpr antigens fused to the MHC class II associated invariant chain. Immunizations induced broad T cell responses in all vaccinees. Following up to 10 repeated low-dose intrarectal challenges, vaccinees suppressed early viral replication (P = 0.01) and prevented the peak viremia in 5/6 animals. Despite consistently undetectable viremia in 2 out of 6 vaccinees, all animals showed evidence of infection induced immune responses indicating that infection had taken place. Vaccinees, with and without detectable viremia better preserved their rectal CD4 + T cell population and had reduced immune hyperactivation as measured by naïve T cell depletion, Ki-67 and PD-1 expression on T cells. These results indicate that vaccination towards SIV accessory antigens vaccine can provide a level of acute control of SIV replication with a suggestion of beneficial immunological consequences in infected animals of unknown long-term significance. In conclusion, our studies demonstrate that a vaccine encoding subdominant antigens not normally associated with virus control can exert a significant impact on acute peak viremia. Mucosal heterologousvirus-vectored vaccine used with MHC class II associated invariant chain linked SIV accessory antigens Mucosal vaccination targeting subdominant antigens delay SIV mac251 replication in rhesus macaques. Longterm reduction of immune hyperactivation following SIV infection of vaccinated macaques.
Mucosal immunization is used with heterologous viral vectors and a genetic adjuvant to raise responses against poorly immunogenic SIV antigens. Following repeated low-dose challenge we observed delayed establishment of chronic phase viremia and reduced immune hyperactivation 6 months after established infection. Vaccination was found to strongly reduce viremia at early, but not late time points, after detected infection and in 2 out of 6 animals infection could only observed as virus induced T cell responses. Subdominant antigen vaccines may thus be used to delay SIV mac251 infection and can enable control of chronic viremia in a minority of cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huanbin Xu
- Tulane National Primate Research Center, Tulane University School of Medicine, Covington, LA 70433, USA
| | - Anne-Marie Andersson
- Center for Medical Parasitology, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, 1014, Denmark
| | - Emeline Ragonnaud
- Center for Medical Parasitology, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, 1014, Denmark
| | - Ditte Boilesen
- Center for Medical Parasitology, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, 1014, Denmark
| | - Anders Tolver
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2100, Denmark
| | | | - James L Blanchard
- Tulane National Primate Research Center, Tulane University School of Medicine, Covington, LA 70433, USA
| | - Alfredo Nicosia
- ReiThera, viale Città d'Europa 679, 00144 Rome, Italy; CEINGE, via Gaetano Salvatore 486, 80145 Naples, Italy; Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples Federico II, via S. Pansini 5, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Ronald S Veazey
- Tulane National Primate Research Center, Tulane University School of Medicine, Covington, LA 70433, USA
| | - Peter Johannes Holst
- Center for Medical Parasitology, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, 1014, Denmark.
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20
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Abstract
INTRODUCTION Despite many recent advances in the HIV prevention landscape, an effective vaccine remains the most promising tool to end the HIV-1 pandemic. Areas covered: This review summarizes past HIV vaccine efficacy trials and current vaccine strategies as well as new approaches about to move into first-in-human trials. Expert opinion: Despite many setbacks in early HIV vaccine efficacy trials, the success of RV144 has provided the glimmer of hope necessary to invigorate the vaccine field, and has led to the development of a large number of vaccine strategies aiming at inducing an array of different immune responses. The follow-up pox-protein trials, developed to replicate and enhance the polyfunctional antibody responses induced by the RV144 regimen, are already reaching efficacy trials, while a large body of work providing a more complete understanding of the development of broadly neutralizing antibodies is now being translated into immunogen design using several different strategies. T-cell based vaccines, fallen out of favor after Ad5-based trials showed increased infection rates in Ad5 seropositive vaccine recipients, are experiencing a comeback based in part on the promising results from non-human primate challenge studies using rhCMV-based immunogens. This diverse array of vaccine candidates may finally allow us to identify a broadly effective HIV vaccine able to contain the epidemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen W Cohen
- a Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division , Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center , Seattle , WA , USA
| | - Nicole Frahm
- a Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division , Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center , Seattle , WA , USA.,b Department of Global Health , University of Washington , Seattle , WA , USA
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21
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Andersson AMC, Holst PJ. Increased T cell breadth and antibody response elicited in prime-boost regimen by viral vector encoded homologous SIV Gag/Env in outbred CD1 mice. J Transl Med 2016; 14:343. [PMID: 27998269 PMCID: PMC5175304 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-016-1102-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2016] [Accepted: 11/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A major obstacle for the development of HIV vaccines is the virus' worldwide sequence diversity. Nevertheless, the presence of T cell epitopes within conserved regions of the virus' structural Gag protein and conserved structures in the envelope (env) sequence raises the possibility that cross-reactive responses may be induced by vaccination. In this study, the aim was to investigate the importance of antigenic match on immunodominance and breadth of obtainable T cell responses. METHODS Outbred CD1 mice were immunized with either heterologous (SIVmac239 and HIV-1 clade B consensus) or homologous (SIVmac239) gag sequences using adenovirus (Ad5) and MVA vectors. Env (SIVmac239) was co-encoded in the vectors to study the induction of antibodies, which is a primary target of current HIV vaccine designs. All three vaccines were designed as virus-encoded virus-like particle vaccines. Antibody responses were analysed by ELISA, avidity ELISA, and neutralization assay. T cell responses were determined by intracellular cytokine staining of splenocytes. RESULTS The homologous Env/Gag prime-boost regimen induced higher Env binding antibodies, and induced stronger and broader Gag specific CD8+ T cell responses than the homologous Env/heterologous Gag prime-boost regimen. Homologous Env/heterologous Gag immunization resulted in selective boosting of Env specific CD8+ T cell responses and consequently a paradoxical decreased recognition of variant sequences including conserved elements of p24 Gag. CONCLUSIONS These results contrast with related studies using Env or Gag as the sole antigen and suggest that prime-boost immunizations based on homologous SIVmac239 Gag inserts is an efficient component of genetic VLP vaccines-both for induction of potent antibody responses and cross-reactive CD8+ T cell responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Marie Carola Andersson
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Center for Medical Parasitology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Peter Johannes Holst
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Center for Medical Parasitology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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22
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Negi N, Vajpayee M, Singh R, Sharma A, Murugavel KG, Ranga U, Thakar M, Sreenivas V, Das BK. Cross-Reactive Potential of HIV-1 Subtype C-Infected Indian Individuals Against Multiple HIV-1 Potential T Cell Epitope Gag Variants. Viral Immunol 2016; 29:572-582. [PMID: 27875663 DOI: 10.1089/vim.2016.0060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Vaccine immunogen with expanded T cell coverage for protection against HIV-1 diversity is the need of the hour. This study was undertaken to examine the ability of T cells to respond to a broad spectrum of potential T cell epitope (PTE) peptides containing variable as well as conserved sequences that would most accurately reflect immune responses to different circulating strains. Set of 320 PTE peptides were pooled in a matrix format that included 40 pools of 32 peptides per pool. These pools were used in interferon-γ enzyme-linked immunospot assay for screening and confirmation of HIV-1 PTE Gag-specific T cell immune responses in 34 HIV-1 seropositive Indian individuals. "Deconvolute This" software was used for result analysis. The dominant target in terms of magnitude and breadth of responses was observed to be the p24 subunit of Gag protein. Of the 34 study subjects, 26 (77%) showed a response to p24 PTE Gag peptides, 17 (50%) to p17, and 17 (50%) responded to p15 PTE peptides. The total breadth and magnitude of immune response ranged from 0.75 to 14.50 and 95.02 to 1,103 spot-forming cells/106 cells, respectively. Seventy-six peptides located in p24 Gag were targeted by 77% of the study subjects followed by 51 peptides in p17 Gag and 46 peptides in p15 Gag with multiple variants being recognized. Maximum study participants recognized PTE peptide sequence Gag271→285NKIVRMYSPVSILDI located in p24 Gag subunit. T cells from HIV-1-infected individuals can recognize multiple PTE peptide variants, although the magnitude of the responses can vary greatly across these variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neema Negi
- 1 Department of Microbiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences , New Delhi, India
| | - Madhu Vajpayee
- 1 Department of Microbiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences , New Delhi, India
| | - Ravinder Singh
- 2 Department of Pediatrics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences , New Delhi, India
| | - Ashutosh Sharma
- 1 Department of Microbiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences , New Delhi, India
| | - Kailapuri G Murugavel
- 3 YRG Centre for AIDS Research and Education, Voluntary Health Services Hospital , Chennai, India
| | - Udaykumar Ranga
- 4 HIV-AIDS Laboratory, Molecular Biology & Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research , Bangalore, India
| | - Madhuri Thakar
- 5 Department of Immunology, National AIDS Research Institute (ICMR) , Pune, India
| | - Vishnubhatla Sreenivas
- 6 Department of Biostatistics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences , New Delhi, India
| | - Bimal Kumar Das
- 1 Department of Microbiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences , New Delhi, India
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23
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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.
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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;
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24
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Lucas CGDO, Matassoli FL, Peçanha LMT, Santillo BT, Oliveira LMDS, Oshiro TM, Marques ETDA, Oxenius A, de Arruda LB. Dendritic cells primed with a chimeric plasmid containing HIV-1-gag associated with lysosomal-associated protein-1 (LAMP/gag) is a potential therapeutic vaccine against HIV. FASEB J 2016; 30:2970-84. [PMID: 27199296 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201500059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2015] [Accepted: 05/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The decline in number and function of T cells is a hallmark of HIV infection, and preservation or restoration of HIV-specific cellular immune response is a major goal of AIDS treatment. Dendritic cells (DCs) play a key role in the initiation and maintenance of the immune response, and their use as a vaccine vehicle is a promising strategy for enhancing vaccine efficacy. We evaluated the potential of DC-mediated immunization with a DNA vaccine consisting of HIV-1-p55gag (gag, group-specific antigen) associated to lysosomal associated protein (LAMP) sequence (LAMP/gag vaccine). Immunization of mice with mouse DCs transfected with LAMP/gag (Lg-mDCs) stimulated more potent B- and T-cell responses than naked DNA or DCs pulsed with inactivated HIV. Anti-Gag antibody levels were sustained for at least 3 mo after immunization, and recall T-cell responses were also strongly detected at this time point. Human DCs transfected with LAMP/gag (Lg-hDCs) were also activated and able to stimulate greater T-cell response than native gag-transfected DCs. Coculture between Lg-hDCs and T lymphocytes obtained from patients with HIV resulted in upregulation of CD38, CD69, HLA-DR, and granzyme B by CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells, and increased IFN-γ and TNF-α production. These results indicate that the use of LAMP/gag-DC may be an efficient strategy for enhancing immune function in patients with HIV.-Lucas, C. G. D. O., Matassoli, F. L., Peçanha, L. M. T., Santillo, B. T., Oliveira, L. M. D. S., Oshiro, T. M., Marques, E. T. D. A., Jr., Oxenius, A., de Arruda, L. B. Dendritic cells primed with a chimeric plasmid containing HIV-1-gag associated with lysosomal-associated protein-1 (LAMP/gag) is a potential therapeutic vaccine against HIV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina G D O Lucas
- Departamento de Virologia, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Flavio L Matassoli
- Departamento de Virologia, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Ligia M T Peçanha
- Departamento de Imunologia, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
| | - Bruna Tereso Santillo
- Laboratório de Dermatologia e Imunodeficiências (LIM-56), Departamento de Dermatologia, Escola de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Institute of Microbiology, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Luanda Mara da Silva Oliveira
- Laboratório de Dermatologia e Imunodeficiências (LIM-56), Departamento de Dermatologia, Escola de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Telma Miyuki Oshiro
- Laboratório de Dermatologia e Imunodeficiências (LIM-56), Departamento de Dermatologia, Escola de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ernesto T D A Marques
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Center for Vaccine Research, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; and Department of Virology, Centro de Pesquisas Aggeu Magalhães (CPqAM), Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz)-Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Annette Oxenius
- Institute of Microbiology, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Luciana B de Arruda
- Departamento de Virologia, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil;
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25
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Valentin A, Li J, Rosati M, Kulkarni V, Patel V, Jalah R, Alicea C, Reed S, Sardesai N, Berkower I, Pavlakis GN, Felber BK. Dose-dependent inhibition of Gag cellular immunity by Env in SIV/HIV DNA vaccinated macaques. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2016; 11:2005-11. [PMID: 26125521 PMCID: PMC4635869 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2015.1016671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The induction of a balanced immune response targeting the major structural proteins, Gag and Env of HIV, is important for the development of an efficacious vaccine. The use of DNA plasmids expressing different antigens offers the opportunity to test in a controlled manner the influence of different vaccine components on the magnitude and distribution of the vaccine-induced cellular and humoral immune responses. Here, we show that increasing amounts of env DNA results in greatly enhanced Env antibody titers without significantly affecting the levels of anti-Env cellular immune responses. Co-immunization with Env protein further increased antibody levels, indicating that vaccination with DNA only is not sufficient for eliciting maximal humoral responses against Env. In contrast, under high env:gag DNA plasmid ratio, the development of Gag cellular responses was significantly reduced by either SIV or HIV Env, whereas Gag humoral responses were not affected. Our data indicate that a balanced ratio of the 2 key HIV/SIV vaccine components, Gag and Env, is important to avoid immunological interference and to achieve both maximal humoral responses against Env to prevent virus acquisition and maximal cytotoxic T cell responses against Gag to prevent virus spread.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Valentin
- a Human Retrovirus Section; Vaccine Branch; Center for Cancer Research; National Cancer Institute at Frederick ; Frederick , MD USA
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26
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Musich T, Robert-Guroff M. New developments in an old strategy: heterologous vector primes and envelope protein boosts in HIV vaccine design. Expert Rev Vaccines 2016; 15:1015-27. [PMID: 26910195 DOI: 10.1586/14760584.2016.1158108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Prime/boost vaccination strategies for HIV/SIV vaccine development have been used since the early 1990s and have become an established method for eliciting cell and antibody mediated immunity. Here we focus on induction of protective antibodies, both broadly neutralizing and non-neutralizing, with the viral envelope being the key target antigen. Prime/boost approaches are complicated by the diversity of autologous and heterologous priming vectors, and by various forms of envelope booster immunogens, many still in development as structural studies aim to design stable constructs with exposure of critical epitopes for protective antibody elicitation. This review discusses individual vaccine components, reviews recent prime/boost strategies and their outcomes, and highlights complicating factors arising as greater knowledge concerning induction of adaptive, protective immunity is acquired.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Musich
- a Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute , National Institutes of Health , Bethesda , MD , USA
| | - Marjorie Robert-Guroff
- a Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute , National Institutes of Health , Bethesda , MD , USA
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27
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Abstract
A globally effective vaccine strategy must cope with the broad genetic diversity of HIV and contend with multiple transmission modalities. Understanding correlates of protection and the role of diversity in limiting protective vaccines with those correlates is key. RV144 was the first HIV-1 vaccine trial to demonstrate efficacy against HIV-1 infection. A correlates analysis comparing vaccine-induced immune responses in vaccinated-infected and vaccinated-uninfected volunteers suggested that IgG specific for the V1V2 region of gp120 was associated with reduced risk of HIV-1 infection and that plasma Env IgA was directly correlated with infection risk. RV144 and recent non-human primate (NHP) challenge studies suggest that Env is essential and perhaps sufficient to induce protective antibody responses against mucosally acquired HIV-1. Whether RV144 immune correlates can apply to different HIV vaccines, to populations with different modes and intensity of transmission, or to divergent HIV-1 subtypes remains unknown. Newer prime-boost mosaic and conserved sequence immunization strategies aiming at inducing immune responses of greater breadth and depth as well as the development of immunogens inducing broadly neutralizing antibodies should be actively pursued. Efficacy trials are now planned in heterosexual populations in southern Africa and men who have sex with men in Thailand. Although NHP challenge studies may guide vaccine development, human efficacy trials remain key to answer the critical questions leading to the development of a global HIV-1 vaccine for licensure.
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28
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Composite Sequence-Structure Stability Models as Screening Tools for Identifying Vulnerable Targets for HIV Drug and Vaccine Development. Viruses 2015; 7:5718-35. [PMID: 26556362 PMCID: PMC4664974 DOI: 10.3390/v7112901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2015] [Revised: 10/19/2015] [Accepted: 10/23/2015] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Rapid evolution and high sequence diversity enable Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) populations to acquire mutations to escape antiretroviral drugs and host immune responses, and thus are major obstacles for the control of the pandemic. One strategy to overcome this problem is to focus drugs and vaccines on regions of the viral genome in which mutations are likely to cripple function through destabilization of viral proteins. Studies relying on sequence conservation alone have had only limited success in determining critically important regions. We tested the ability of two structure-based computational models to assign sites in the HIV-1 capsid protein (CA) that would be refractory to mutational change. The destabilizing mutations predicted by these models were rarely found in a database of 5811 HIV-1 CA coding sequences, with none being present at a frequency greater than 2%. Furthermore, 90% of variants with the low predicted stability (from a set of 184 CA variants whose replication fitness or infectivity has been studied in vitro) had aberrant capsid structures and reduced viral infectivity. Based on the predicted stability, we identified 45 CA sites prone to destabilizing mutations. More than half of these sites are targets of one or more known CA inhibitors. The CA regions enriched with these sites also overlap with peptides shown to induce cellular immune responses associated with lower viral loads in infected individuals. Lastly, a joint scoring metric that takes into account both sequence conservation and protein structure stability performed better at identifying deleterious mutations than sequence conservation or structure stability information alone. The computational sequence-structure stability approach proposed here might therefore be useful for identifying immutable sites in a protein for experimental validation as potential targets for drug and vaccine development.
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29
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Seki S, Matano T. Development of a Sendai virus vector-based AIDS vaccine inducing T cell responses. Expert Rev Vaccines 2015; 15:119-27. [PMID: 26512881 DOI: 10.1586/14760584.2016.1105747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Virus-specific CD8(+) T-cell responses play a major role in the control of HIV replication, and induction of HIV-specific T-cell responses is an important strategy for AIDS vaccine development. Optimization of the delivery system and immunogen would be the key for the development of an effective T cell-based AIDS vaccine. Heterologous prime-boost vaccine regimens using multiple viral vectors are a promising protocol for efficient induction of HIV-specific T-cell responses, and the development of a variety of potent viral vectors have been attempted. This review describes the current progress of the development of T cell-based AIDS vaccines using viral vectors, focusing on Sendai virus vectors, whose phase I clinical trials have been performed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sayuri Seki
- a AIDS Research Center , National Institute of Infectious Diseases , Tokyo , Japan
| | - Tetsuro Matano
- a AIDS Research Center , National Institute of Infectious Diseases , Tokyo , Japan.,b The Institute of Medical Science , The University of Tokyo , Tokyo , Japan
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30
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Excler JL, Robb ML, Kim JH. Prospects for a globally effective HIV-1 vaccine. Vaccine 2015; 33 Suppl 4:D4-12. [PMID: 26100921 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2015.03.059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2015] [Revised: 03/07/2015] [Accepted: 03/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
A globally effective vaccine strategy must cope with the broad genetic diversity of HIV and contend with multiple transmission modalities. Understanding correlates of protection and the role of diversity in limiting protective vaccines with those correlates is key. RV144 was the first HIV-1 vaccine trial to demonstrate efficacy against HIV-1 infection. A correlates analysis compared vaccine-induced immune responses in vaccinated-infected and vaccinated-uninfected volunteers suggested that IgG specific for the V1V2 region of gp120 was associated with reduced risk of HIV-1 infection and that plasma Env IgA was directly correlated with infection risk. RV144 and recent NHP challenge studies suggest that Env is essential and perhaps sufficient to induce protective antibody responses against mucosally acquired HIV-1. Whether RV144 immune correlates can apply to different HIV vaccines, to populations with different modes and intensity of transmission, or to divergent HIV-1 subtypes remains unknown. Newer prime-boost mosaic and conserved sequence immunization strategies aiming at inducing immune responses of greater breadth and depth as well as the development of immunogens inducing broadly neutralizing antibodies should be actively pursued. Efficacy trials are now planned in heterosexual populations in southern Africa and MSM in Thailand. Although NHP challenge studies may guide vaccine development, human efficacy trials remain key to answer the critical questions leading to the development of a global HIV-1 vaccine for licensure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Louis Excler
- U.S. Military HIV Research Program, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Bethesda, MD, USA; Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Merlin L Robb
- U.S. Military HIV Research Program, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Bethesda, MD, USA; Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jerome H Kim
- U.S. Military HIV Research Program, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Bethesda, MD, USA
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31
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Brown J, Excler JL, Kim JH. New prospects for a preventive HIV-1 vaccine. J Virus Erad 2015; 1:78-88. [PMID: 26523292 PMCID: PMC4625840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The immune correlates of risk analysis and recent non-human primate (NHP) challenge studies have generated hypotheses that suggest HIV-1 envelope may be essential and, perhaps, sufficient to induce protective antibody responses against HIV-1 acquisition at the mucosal entry. New prime-boost mosaic and conserved-sequence, together with replicating vector immunisation strategies aiming at inducing immune responses or greater breadth, as well as the development of immunogens inducing broadly neutralising antibodies and mucosal responses, should be actively pursued and tested in humans. Whether the immune correlates of risk identified in RV144 can be extended to other vaccines, other populations, or different modes and intensity of transmission, and against increasing HIV-1 genetic diversity, remains to be demonstrated. Although NHP challenge studies may guide vaccine development, human efficacy trials remain key for answering the critical questions leading to the development of a global HIV-1 vaccine for licensure.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jean-Louis Excler
- US Military HIV Research Program,
Bethesda,
MD,
USA,The Henry M Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine,
Bethesda,
MD,
USA,Corresponding author: Jean-Louis Excler,
US Military HIV Research Program,
6720-A Rockledge Drive, Suite 400Bethesda,
MD20817,
USA
| | - Jerome H Kim
- US Military HIV Research Program,
Walter Reed Army Institute of Research,
Silver Spring,
MD,
USA
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32
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Rosati M, Alicea C, Kulkarni V, Virnik K, Hockenbury M, Sardesai NY, Pavlakis GN, Valentin A, Berkower I, Felber BK. Recombinant rubella vectors elicit SIV Gag-specific T cell responses with cytotoxic potential in rhesus macaques. Vaccine 2015; 33:2167-74. [PMID: 25802183 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2015.02.067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2014] [Revised: 02/19/2015] [Accepted: 02/25/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Live-attenuated rubella vaccine strain RA27/3 has been demonstrated to be safe and immunogenic in millions of children. The vaccine strain was used to insert SIV gag sequences and the resulting rubella vectors were tested in rhesus macaques alone and together with SIV gag DNA in different vaccine prime-boost combinations. We previously reported that such rubella vectors induce robust and durable SIV-specific humoral immune responses in macaques. Here, we report that recombinant rubella vectors elicit robust de novo SIV-specific cellular immune responses detectable for >10 months even after a single vaccination. The antigen-specific responses induced by the rubella vector include central and effector memory CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells with cytotoxic potential. Rubella vectors can be administered repeatedly even after vaccination with the rubella vaccine strain RA27/3. Vaccine regimens including rubella vector and SIV gag DNA in different prime-boost combinations resulted in robust long-lasting cellular responses with significant increase of cellular responses upon boost. Rubella vectors provide a potent platform for inducing HIV-specific immunity that can be combined with DNA in a prime-boost regimen to elicit durable cellular immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margherita Rosati
- Human Retrovirus Section, Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Candido Alicea
- Human Retrovirus Pathogenesis Section, Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Viraj Kulkarni
- Human Retrovirus Pathogenesis Section, Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Konstantin Virnik
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation, Division of Viral Products, Office of Vaccines, Center for Biologics, FDA, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Max Hockenbury
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation, Division of Viral Products, Office of Vaccines, Center for Biologics, FDA, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | | | - George N Pavlakis
- Human Retrovirus Section, Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Antonio Valentin
- Human Retrovirus Section, Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Ira Berkower
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation, Division of Viral Products, Office of Vaccines, Center for Biologics, FDA, Silver Spring, MD, USA.
| | - Barbara K Felber
- Human Retrovirus Pathogenesis Section, Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, MD, USA.
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