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Sadeghi L, Bolhassani A, Mohit E, Baesi K, Aghasadeghi MR. Heterologous DNA Prime/Protein Boost Immunization Targeting Nef-Tat Fusion Antigen Induces Potent T-cell Activity and in vitro Anti-SCR HIV-1 Effects. Curr HIV Res 2024; 22:CHR-EPUB-140212. [PMID: 38712371 DOI: 10.2174/011570162x297602240430142231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Heterologous combinations in vaccine design are an effective approach to promote T cell activity and antiviral effects. The goal of this study was to compare the homologous and heterologous regimens targeting the Nef-Tat fusion antigen to develop a human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) therapeutic vaccine candidate. METHODS At first, the DNA and protein constructs harboring HIV-1 Nef and the first exon of Tat as linked form (pcDNA-nef-tat and Nef-Tat protein) were prepared in large scale and high purity. The generation of the Nef-Tat protein was performed in the E. coli expression system using an IPTG inducer. Then, we evaluated and compared immune responses of homologous DNA prime/ DNA boost, homologous protein prime/ protein boost, and heterologous DNA prime/protein boost regimens in BALB/c mice. Finally, the ability of mice splenocytes to secret cytokines after exposure to single-cycle replicable (SCR) HIV-1 was compared between immunized and control groups in vitro. RESULTS The nef-tat gene was successfully subcloned in eukaryotic pcDNA3.1 (-) and prokaryotic pET-24a (+) expression vectors. The recombinant Nef-Tat protein was generated in the E. coli Rosetta strain under optimized conditions as a clear band of ~ 35 kDa detected on SDS-PAGE. Moreover, transfection of pcDNA-nef-tat into HEK-293T cells was successfully performed using Lipofectamine 2000, as confirmed by western blotting. The immunization studies showed that heterologous DNA prime/protein boost regimen could significantly elicit the highest levels of Ig- G2a, IFN-γ, and Granzyme B in mice as compared to homologous DNA/DNA and protein/protein regimens. Moreover, the secretion of IFN-γ was higher in DNA/protein regimens than in DNA/DNA and protein/protein regimens after exposure of mice splenocytes to SCR HIV-1 in vitro. CONCLUSION The chimeric HIV-1 Nef-Tat antigen was highly immunogenic, especially when applied in a heterologous prime/ boost regimen. This regimen could direct immune response toward cellular immunity (Th1 and CTL activity) and increase IFN-γ secretion after virus exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leila Sadeghi
- Department of Hepatitis and AIDS, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Azam Bolhassani
- Department of Hepatitis and AIDS, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Elham Mohit
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Protein Technology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Kazem Baesi
- Department of Hepatitis and AIDS, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
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Stieh DJ, Barouch DH, Comeaux C, Sarnecki M, Stephenson KE, Walsh SR, Sawant S, Heptinstall J, Tomaras GD, Kublin JG, McElrath MJ, Cohen KW, De Rosa SC, Alter G, Ferrari G, Montefiori D, Mann P, Nijs S, Callewaert K, Goepfert PA, Edupuganti S, Karita E, Seaman MS, Corey L, Baden LR, Pau MG, Schuitemaker H, Tomaka F. Safety and Immunogenicity of Ad26-Vectored HIV Vaccine With Mosaic Immunogens and a Novel Mosaic Envelope Protein in HIV-Uninfected Adults: A Phase 1/2a Study. J Infect Dis 2023; 227:939-950. [PMID: 36348617 PMCID: PMC10202119 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiac445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Developing a cross-clade, globally effective HIV vaccine remains crucial for eliminating HIV. METHODS This placebo-controlled, double-blind, phase 1/2a study enrolled healthy HIV-uninfected adults at low risk for HIV infection. They were randomized (1:4:1) to receive 4 doses of an adenovirus 26-based HIV-1 vaccine encoding 2 mosaic Gag and Pol, and 2 mosaic Env proteins plus adjuvanted clade C gp140 (referred to here as clade C regimen), bivalent protein regimen (clade C regimen plus mosaic gp140), or placebo. Primary end points were safety and antibody responses. RESULTS In total 152/155 participants (clade C, n = 26; bivalent protein, n = 103; placebo, n = 26) received ≥1 injection. The highest adverse event (AE) severity was grade 3 (local pain/tenderness, 12%, 2%, and 0% of the respective groups; solicited systemic AEs, 19%, 15%, 0%). HIV-1 mosaic gp140-binding antibody titers were 79 595 ELISA units (EU)/mL and 137 520 EU/mL in the clade C and bivalent protein groups (P < .001) after dose 4 and 16 862 EU/mL and 25 162 EU/mL 6 months later. Antibody response breadth against clade C gp140 and clade C/non-clade C gp120 was highest in the bivalent protein group. CONCLUSIONS Adding mosaic gp140 to the clade C regimen increased and broadened the elicited immune response without compromising safety or clade C responses. Clinical Trials Registration. NCT02935686.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dan H Barouch
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | | | - Kathryn E Stephenson
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Stephen R Walsh
- Center for Virology and Vaccine Research, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sheetal Sawant
- Department of Surgery, Center for Human Systems Immunology, and Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jack Heptinstall
- Department of Surgery, Center for Human Systems Immunology, and Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Georgia D Tomaras
- Department of Surgery, Center for Human Systems Immunology, and Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - James G Kublin
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - M Juliana McElrath
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Kristen W Cohen
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Stephen C De Rosa
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Galit Alter
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Guido Ferrari
- Department of Surgery, Center for Human Systems Immunology, and Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - David Montefiori
- Department of Surgery, Center for Human Systems Immunology, and Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Philipp Mann
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Steven Nijs
- Janssen Research and Development, Beerse, Belgium
| | | | - Paul A Goepfert
- Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Srilatha Edupuganti
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | | | - Michael S Seaman
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Lawrence Corey
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Lindsey R Baden
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Maria G Pau
- Janssen Vaccines and Prevention Leiden, the Netherlands
| | | | - Frank Tomaka
- Janssen Research and Development, Titusville, New Jersey, USA
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Niyomnaitham S, Atakulreka S, Wongprompitak P, Copeland KK, Toh ZQ, Licciardi PV, Srisutthisamphan K, Jansarikit L, Chokephaibulkit K. Immunogenicity and reactogenicity of accelerated regimens of fractional intradermal COVID-19 vaccinations. Front Immunol 2023; 13:1080791. [PMID: 36733395 PMCID: PMC9886662 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1080791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction This phase I study explored the immunogenicity and reactogenicity of accelerated, Q7 fractional, intradermal vaccination regimens for COVID-19. Methods Participants (n = 60) aged 18-60 years, naïve to SARS-CoV-2 infection or vaccination, were randomly allocated into one of four homologous or heterologous accelerated two-dose, two-injection intradermal regimens seven days apart:(1) BNT162b2-BNT162b2(n= 20),(2) ChAdOx1- BNT162b2 (n = 20), (3) CoronaVac-ChAdOx1 (n = 10), and (4) ChAdOx1-ChAdOx1 (n = 10). CoronaVac and ChAdOx1 were 20%, and BNT162b2 17%, of their standard intramuscular doses (0.1 mL and 0.05 mL per injection, respectively). Humoral immune responses were measured through IgG response towards receptor binding domains (RBD-IgG) of ancestral SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and pseudovirus neutralization tests (PVNT50). Cellular immune responses were measured using ELISpot for ancestral protein pools. Results Immunogenicity was highest in regimen (2), followed by (1), (4), and (3) 2 weeks after the second dose (P < 0.001 for anti-RBD-IgG and P= 0.01 for PVNT50). Each group had significantly lower anti-RBD IgG (by factors of 5.4, 3.6, 11.6, and 2.0 for regimens (1) to (4), respectively) compared to their respective standard intramuscular regimens (P < 0.001 for each). Seroconversion rates for PVNT50 against the ancestral strain were 75%, 90%, 57% and 37% for regimens (1) to (4), respectively. All participants elicited ELISpot response to S-protein after vaccination. Adverse events were reportedly mild or moderate across cohorts. Discussion We concluded that accelerated, fractional, heterologous or homologous intradermal vaccination regimens of BNT162b2 and ChAdOx1 were well tolerated, provided rapid immune priming against SARS-CoV-2, and may prove useful for containing future outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suvimol Niyomnaitham
- Siriraj Institute of Clinical Research, Bangkok, Thailand,Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - Patimaporn Wongprompitak
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Katherine Kradangna Copeland
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University International College, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
| | - Zheng Quan Toh
- Infection and Immunology, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia,Department of Pediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Paul V. Licciardi
- Infection and Immunology, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia,Department of Pediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Kanjana Srisutthisamphan
- National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science Development Agency (NSTDA), Pathumthani, Thailand
| | - Laddawan Jansarikit
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Kulkanya Chokephaibulkit
- Siriraj Institute of Clinical Research, Bangkok, Thailand,Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand,*Correspondence: Kulkanya Chokephaibulkit,
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