Epstein-Barr virus vaccine development: a lytic and latent protein cocktail.
Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) is the causative agent of acute infectious mononucleosis and associates with malignancies such as Burkitt lymphoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Additionally, EBV is responsible for B-lymphoproliferative disease in the context of HIV-infection, genetic immunodeficiencies and organ/stem-cell transplantation. Here we discuss past and current efforts to design an EBV vaccine. We further describe preliminary studies of a novel cocktail vaccine expressing both lytic and latent EBV proteins. Specifically, a tetrameric vaccinia virus (VV) -based vaccine was formulated to express the EBV lytic proteins gp350 and gp110, and the latent proteins EBNA-2 and EBNA-3C. In a proof-of-concept study, mice were vaccinated with the individual or mixed VV. Each of the passenger genes was expressed in vivo at levels sufficient to elicit binding antibody responses. Neutralizing gp350-specific antibodies were also elicited, as were EBV-specific T-cell responses, following inoculation of mice with the single or mixed VV. Results encourage further development of the cocktail vaccine strategy as a potentially powerful weapon against EBV infection and disease in humans.
Lockey
Timothy D
TD
Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 332 N. Lauderdale, Memphis, TN 38105, USA.
Zhan
Xiaoyan
X
Surman
Sherri
S
Sample
Clare E
CE
Hurwitz
Julia L
JL
D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D023421:Models, Animal; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic; D014765:Viral Vaccines
D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic; D014765:Viral Vaccines