title: Comparative analysis of immune responses and cytokine profiles elicited in rabbits by the combined use of recombinant fowlpox viruses, plasmids and virus-like particles in prime-boost vaccination protocols against SHIV.
abstract: Three different prime-boost immunization protocols were tested in rabbits and their immune response was evaluated and compared with the final aim of identifying a vaccine strategy that might be able to protect non-human primates from infection with the pathogenic chimera simian/human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV)(89.6P). Protocols were based on priming with two fowlpox (FP) recombinant vectors and two expression plasmids, which express either the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)mac(239) gag/pol or the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1)env(89.6P) genes, followed by boosting with virus-like particles (VLP). All protocols were effective in eliciting homologous neutralizing Ab and highlighted the efficacy of VLP boosting. The FP vector was less efficient than plasmid DNA in inducing Ab against the gag core proteins. Analysis of cytokine expression 5 months after last immunization indicated that priming with pcDNA3gag/pol(SIV) and FPenv(89.6P) followed by VLP boosting generated a T helper (Th0) profile and a good Ab titer, suggesting a potential protocol to be tested in the SHIV-macaque model of HIV-1 infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacological Sciences, University of Milano, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Radaelli
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zanotto
authors.forename: Gianpaolo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Perletti
authors.forename: Veronica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Elli
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vicenzi
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Poli
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: De Giuli Morghen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D019556:COS Cells; D002417:Cattle; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D017931:DNA Primers; D005587:Fowlpox virus / Q000276:immunology*; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007117:Immunization, Secondary; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology*; D010957:Plasmids; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011817:Rabbits; D016097:Simian Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000276:immunology*; D014162:Transfection; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014709:Vero Cells; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D017931:DNA Primers; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D014765:Viral Vaccines