title: DNA prime/protein boost immunization against HIV clade C: safety and immunogenicity in mice.
abstract: The induction of both cellular and humoral immunity is an important goal for vaccine development against HIV. As a step towards the development of an efficacious vaccine against HIV clade C, the world's most prevalent strain, a combination DNA prime/protein boost immunization strategy was tested. A DNA expression vector was prepared encoding a codon-optimized env gene derived from a pediatric HIV clade C isolate, 1084i. Mice were immunized with HIV1084i env-encoding DNA, then boosted with homologous 1084i gp160. HIV1084i Env-specific T-cell responses were induced with DNA vaccination alone, but the strongest cellular immune responses were seen after boosting with gp160. Immunization with gp160 alone induced high-titer antibodies but required two inoculations. In contrast, high-titer antibodies were seen after a single 1084i gp160 boost in DNA-primed animals. All animals given gp160 inoculations, whether DNA primed or not, developed neutralizing antibodies reactive with HIV1084i and a macaque-passaged simian/human immunodeficiency construct, SHIV-1084ip. The results demonstrate the utility of this DNA prime/protein boost approach to generate cellular immunity, as well as neutralizing antibodies, against HIV clade C env antigens.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cancer Immunology & AIDS, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Rasmussen
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ong
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kittel
authors.forename: Claudia R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Ruprecht
authors.forename: Flavia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ferrantelli
authors.forename: Shiu-Lok
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Polacino
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Policano
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McKenna
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.forename: Bruce
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Travis
authors.forename: Ruth M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Ruprecht
mesh_terms: D016915:AIDS Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D015686:Gene Products, env / Q000235:genetics; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D019302:HIV Envelope Protein gp160 / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization; D007117:Immunization, Secondary; D007223:Infant; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000276:immunology*; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D016915:AIDS Vaccines; D015686:Gene Products, env; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D019302:HIV Envelope Protein gp160; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic