DNA inoculation induces cross clade anti-HIV-1 responses.
Nucleic acid or DNA immunization represents a novel approach to vaccine and immune therapeutic development. The direct injection of expression cassettes into a living host results in in vivo gene expression and immune activation. In the case of HIV-1 it has been shown by our laboratory that facilitated injection mimicks aspects of live attenuated vaccines and that both humoral and cellular responses can be induced upon injection of a nucleic acid sequence directly into a host target tissue. Antisera from HIV-1 plasmid expression cassette-immunized animals contain anti-HIV envelope glycoprotein immune responses. The antiserum neutralizes HIV-1 infection and inhibits cell to cell infection in vitro. Cellular immune responses have also been evaluated. We observed both T cell proliferation and isotype switching consistent with the production of relevant T helper immune responses in immunized animals. Furthermore it was demonstrated that CTL lysis of relevant env-expressing targets was similarly induced. These studies further define the importance of evaluating this new technology for vaccine and immune therapeutic development for HIV-1 as well as for other human viral pathogens.
Wang
B
B
Apollon Inc., Malvern, Pennsylvania, USA.
Boyer
J
J
Srikantan
V
V
Ugen
K
K
Agadjanian
M
M
Merva
M
M
Gilbert
L
L
Dang
K
K
McCallus
D
D
Moelling
K
K
D016915:AIDS Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D001358:Avian Sarcoma Viruses / Q000235:genetics; D004274:DNA, Recombinant; D015686:Gene Products, env / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology; D019302:HIV Envelope Protein gp160; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D015498:HIV-2 / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008252:Macaca fascicularis / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000276:immunology*
D016915:AIDS Vaccines; D004274:DNA, Recombinant; D015686:Gene Products, env; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D019302:HIV Envelope Protein gp160; D011498:Protein Precursors; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic