title: Enhanced immune responses after DNA vaccination with combined envelope genes from different HIV-1 subtypes.
abstract: In a multisubtype approach to HIV-1 vaccination, mice were immunized with HIV-1 envelope gp160 genes from subtypes A, B, and C. Subsequently the mice were challenged with syngeneic primary splenocytes infected with a HIV-1/MuLV pseudovirus carrying a subtype B genome. HIV-specific immune responses and protection were strongest in the group of animals immunized with a combination of subtype A, B, and C specific gp160 genes as compared to subtype B only. Immunization with the combination of the cross-reactive subtypes A and C envelope genes induced HIV-specific immune responses but did not result in significant protection to challenge with subtype B infected cells. From this we conclude that immunization with the envelope genes from several HIV-1 subtypes may indeed enhance immune responses. This study shows that by using a mix of subtype envelope genes, an enhanced protective immunity can be obtained experimentally, potentially also in humans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control and Microbiology and Tumor Biology Center, Karolinska Institute, SE-17182, Stockholm, Sweden. Karl.Ljungberg@smi.ki.se
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ljungberg
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rollman
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Eriksson
authors.forename: Jorma
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hinkula
authors.forename: Britta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wahren
mesh_terms: D016915:AIDS Vaccines / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002455:Cell Division; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D015870:Gene Expression; D019302:HIV Envelope Protein gp160 / Q000235:genetics*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014611:Vaccination; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D016915:AIDS Vaccines; D004279:DNA, Viral; D019302:HIV Envelope Protein gp160; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma