title: Peptide selection for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 CTL-based vaccine evaluation.
abstract: Dozens of human immunodeficiency virus-type 1 (HIV-1) vaccine candidates specifically designed to elicit cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) responses have entered the pipeline of clinical trials. Evaluating the immunogenicity and potential efficacy of these HIV-1 vaccine candidates is challenging in the face of the extensive viral genetic diversity of circulating strains. Standardized peptide reagents to define the magnitude and potential breadth of the T-cell response, especially to circulating strains of HIV-1, are needed. For this purpose we developed a biometric approach based on T-cell recognition pattern for defining standardized reagents. Circulating strains in the Los Alamos database were evaluated and standardized algorithms to define all potential T-cell epitopes (PTEs) were generated. While many unique PTEs could be identified, a finite number based upon prevalence of circulating strains in the database, which we define as vaccine-important PTEs (VIPs), were used to select a common standardized panel of HIV-1 peptides for CTL-based vaccine evaluation. The usability of PTE peptide set was manifested by detection of Nef-specific CTL responses in HIV-1 subtype B infections.
authors.affiliation: Statistical Center for HIV/AIDS Research and Prevention, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA.
authors.forename: Fusheng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Uma
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Malhotra
authors.forename: Peter B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Gilbert
authors.forename: Natalie R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Hawkins
authors.forename: Ann C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Duerr
authors.forename: Juliana M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: McElrath
authors.forename: Lawrence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Corey
authors.forename: Steven G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Self
mesh_terms: D016915:AIDS Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D000465:Algorithms; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D030541:Databases, Genetic; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology; D015488:HIV Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000276:immunology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010455:Peptides / Q000276:immunology*; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D016915:AIDS Vaccines; D000939:Epitopes; D015488:HIV Antigens; D010455:Peptides