title: An HIV type 2 DNA vaccine induces cross-reactive immune responses against HIV type 2 and SIV.
abstract: We have previously reported on the generation of specific functional immune responses after inoculation of animals with expression vectors encoding HIV-1 genes. This article provides the details of the first application of this new technology to induce immune responses against HIV-2. This virus is molecularly and serologically distinct from HIV-1 and is in fact more closely related to the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV). Anti-HIV-2 and SIV antibodies were induced in mice of three different haplotypes following a single intramuscular inoculation with an HIV-2/ROD envelope glycoprotein expression vector (pcEnv-2). Boosting of animals with pcEnv-2 induced both anti-HIV-2 neutralizing antibodies and T cell-proliferative responses against HIV-2 and SIVmac proteins. We compared the humoral and cellular immune responses of mice injected with pcEnv-2 and then boosted with either the homologous DNA construct or a recombinant Env protein. Animals boosted with pcEnv-2 generated B and T cell immune responses as strong as those of mice boosted with recombinant gp140 protein in adjuvant. Finally, cellular immune responses were significantly increased with the coadministration of pcEnv-2 and a plasmid expressing interleukin 12. We therefore conclude that DNA plasmid inoculation induces cross-reactive anti-HIV-2 and anti-SIVmac immune responses in mice. This technology should be further investigated as a potential vaccine component for this human pathogen.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia 19104-6100, USA. agadjany@mail.med.upenn.edu
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Agadjanyan
authors.forename: N N
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Trivedi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kudchodkar
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bennett
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Levine
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Boyer
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Levy
authors.forename: K E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Ugen
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Weiner
mesh_terms: D016915:AIDS Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D019556:COS Cells; D002460:Cell Line; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D003429:Cross Reactions; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology*; D015498:HIV-2 / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008806:Mice, Inbred AKR; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010957:Plasmids; D015302:Simian Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000276:immunology*; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D016915:AIDS Vaccines; D004279:DNA, Viral; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic