title: Efficient expansion of HIV-1-specific T cell responses by homologous immunization with recombinant Semliki Forest virus particles.
abstract: Vaccines based on recombinant viruses represent a promising strategy for the development of a prophylactic vaccine against HIV-1. However, despite a proven capacity to stimulate potent HIV-1-specific immune responses, viral systems have limited utility in homologous prime-boost regimens due to the generation of anti-vector immune responses. It is therefore important to develop a diverse set of vaccine candidates that can be combined in different heterologous prime-boost regimens and/or to identify a vaccine candidate that is less sensitive to anti-vector mediated immunity. In this report, we describe the design and pre-clinical immunogenicity of a Semliki Forest virus-based vaccine, VREP-C, encoding Indian origin HIV-1 clade C antigens. We show that a single immunization with VREP-C stimulates HIV-1-specific IFNgamma ELISPOT responses, which were efficiently boosted by a second and a third homologous VREP-C immunization resulting in highly potent cytotoxic T cell responses. These results suggest that VREP-C may be a valuable component of a future prophylactic vaccine against HIV-1.
authors.affiliation: Microbiology and Tumor Biology Center, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sundbäck
authors.forename: Iyadh
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Douagi
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dayaraj
authors.forename: Mattias N E
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Forsell
authors.forename: Eva K L
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Nordström
authors.forename: Gerald M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: McInerney
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Spångberg
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tjäder
authors.forename: Eivor
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bonin
authors.forename: Magnus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sundström
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Liljeström
authors.forename: Gunilla B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Karlsson Hedestam
mesh_terms: D016915:AIDS Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D016207:Cytokines / Q000032:analysis; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D015488:HIV Antigens / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D007117:Immunization, Secondary; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000032:analysis; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D023421:Models, Animal; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D012672:Semliki forest virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D016915:AIDS Vaccines; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D016207:Cytokines; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D015488:HIV Antigens; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic; D007371:Interferon-gamma