title: Evaluation of recombinant Kunjin replicon SIV vaccines for protective efficacy in macaques.
abstract: Persistent gag-specific T cell immunity would be a useful component of an effective HIV vaccine. The Flavivirus Kunjin replicon was previously engineered to persistently express HIV gag and was shown to induce protective responses in mice. We evaluated Kunjin replicon virus-like-particles expressing SIVgag-pol in pigtail macaques. Kunjin-specific antibodies were induced, but no SIV-specific T cell immunity were detected. Following SIVmac251 challenge, there was no difference in SIV viremia or retention of CD4 T cells between Kunjin-SIVgag-pol vaccine immunized animals and controls. An amnestic SIV gag-specific CD8 T cell response associated with control of viremia was observed in 1 of 6 immunized animals. Refinements of this vector system and optimization of the immunization doses, routes, and schedules are required prior to clinical trials.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, 3010, Australia. skent@unimelb.edu.au
authors.forename: Stephen J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Kent
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: De Rose
authors.forename: Vlad V
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Mokhonov
authors.forename: Ekaterina I
authors.initials: EI
authors.lastname: Mokhonova
authors.forename: Caroline S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Fernandez
authors.forename: Sheilajen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Alcantara
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rollman
authors.forename: Rosemarie D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Mason
authors.forename: Liyen
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Loh
authors.forename: Viv
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Peut
authors.forename: Jeanette C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Reece
authors.forename: Xiang Ju
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Kim M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Suhrbier
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khromykh
mesh_terms: D016915:AIDS Vaccines; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D015685:Fusion Proteins, gag-pol / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D005818:Genetic Engineering; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008254:Macaca nemestrina; D012093:Replicon; D018449:SAIDS Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D016097:Simian Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000821:virology; D015302:Simian Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D014902:West Nile virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016915:AIDS Vaccines; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D015685:Fusion Proteins, gag-pol; D018449:SAIDS Vaccines; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic