title: DNA vaccination of macaques by a full genome HIV-1 plasmid which produces noninfectious virus particles.
abstract: In this study, we tried a DNA vaccination regime in rhesus macaques using a full genome HIV-1 plasmid. The HIV-1 genome is under the control of its original LTR promoter, but has a mutated zinc finger motif gene in the nucleocapsid region. Due to the lack of genomic RNA packaging, the plasmid produces only noninfectious viral particles. We repeatedly injected four macaque monkeys intramuscularly with the naked DNA over a period of 40 weeks. To evaluate the humoral and cell-mediated immunity provided by this DNA vaccination, no other booster or other recombinant viral vectors were used. Immunological responses against HIV-1 were elicited in all of the vaccinated monkeys: stable anti-HIV-1 Env antibodies were raised in two monkeys and CTL activities were induced in the other monkeys. The macaques were intravenously challenged at 54 weeks with 100 TCID(50) of SHIV-NM-3rN, which possesses an envelope gene homologous to the one in the vaccinated plasmid. In all of the vaccinated macaques, the peak plasma viral loads induced by the challenge virus were two to three orders of magnitude lower than those of the naive controls. These results suggest that a DNA vaccination regime with a full genome plasmid alone is potentially efficacious and provides a new possibility for the development of an AIDS vaccine.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Viral Pathogenesis, Institute for Virus Research, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Akahata
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ido
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimada
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Katsuyama
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Uesaka
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ui
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kuwata
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hayami
mesh_terms: D016915:AIDS Vaccines / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D015686:Gene Products, env / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D015683:Gene Products, gag / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D016679:Genome, Viral; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000276:immunology; D015488:HIV Antigens / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D008253:Macaca mulatta / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D011533:Proviruses / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D016097:Simian Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000821:virology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology; D014611:Vaccination; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D019562:Viral Load; D016335:Zinc Fingers
chemical_list: D016915:AIDS Vaccines; D004279:DNA, Viral; D015686:Gene Products, env; D015683:Gene Products, gag; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D015488:HIV Antigens; D012367:RNA, Viral; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D007371:Interferon-gamma