title: Immunoprophylaxis against AIDS in macaques with a lentiviral DNA vaccine.
abstract: We earlier reported that immunization of macaques with a reverse transcriptase-deleted SHIV(KU2) (DeltartSHIV(KU2)) plasmid that contained HIV-1(HXB2) env and SIV gag-nef induced protection against AIDS caused by challenge virus SHIV89.6P with a heterologous env. We further deleted vif and integrase from DeltartSHIV(KU2) and substituted the 3'LTR with SV40 poly A sequences, creating Delta4SHIV(KU2) (M) and a parallel construct containing gag-nef of HIV-1(SF2), Delta4SHIV(KU2) (H). Six macaques received two intramuscular injections of the (M) DNA, and another six received three injections of the (H) DNA. Three of the latter group received two post-challenge boosts with (M) DNA vaccine. Seven virus control macaques were inoculated with SHIV89.6P. All twelve immunized macaques were challenged with SHIV89.6P virus, and CMI responses were measured by ELISPOT assays. Virus control animals all developed progressive infection, whereas vaccinated macaques from both groups controlled virus replication, with plasma viral loads dropping to undetectable levels between weeks 6 and 126 p.i. This DNA vaccine was efficacious even though it encoded Env, Gag, and Nef that were genetically distinct from the proteins in the challenge virus. The DNA vaccine induced broad-based protection without using viral proteins to boost the immunity.
authors.affiliation: Marion Merrell Dow Laboratory of Viral Pathogenesis, Department of Microbiology, Molecular Genetics and Immunology, The University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Blvd., Kansas City, KS 66160, USA. zliu@kumc.edu
authors.forename: ZhenQian
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Dinesh K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Darlene
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sheffer
authors.forename: Marilyn S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Sukhbir
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dhillon
authors.forename: Yahia
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chebloune
authors.forename: Ramakrishna
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hegde
authors.forename: Shilpa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Buch
authors.forename: Opendra
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Narayan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D002460:Cell Line; D006801:Humans; D016086:Lentivirus / Q000235:genetics*; D008252:Macaca fascicularis; D018449:SAIDS Vaccines / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D016097:Simian Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015302:Simian Immunodeficiency Virus; D013997:Time Factors; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D018449:SAIDS Vaccines; D019444:Vaccines, DNA