Toward an AIDS vaccine: lessons from natural simian immunodeficiency virus infections of African nonhuman primate hosts.
The design of an effective AIDS vaccine has eluded the efforts of the scientific community to the point that alternative approaches to classic vaccine formulations have to be considered. We propose here that HIV vaccine research could greatly benefit from the study of natural simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infections of African nonhuman primates. Natural SIV hosts (for example, sooty mangabeys, African green monkeys and mandrills) share many features of HIV infection of humans; however, they usually do not develop immunodeficiency. These natural, nonprogressive SIV infections represent an evolutionary adaptation that allows a peaceful coexistence of primate lentiviruses and the host immune system. This adaptation does not result in reduced viral replication but, rather, involves phenotypic changes to CD4(+) T cell subsets, limited immune activation and preserved mucosal immunity, all of which contribute to the avoidance of disease progression and, possibly, to the reduction of vertical SIV transmission. Here we summarize the current understanding of SIV infection of African nonhuman primates and discuss how unraveling these evolutionary adaptations may provide clues for new vaccine designs that might induce effective immune responses without the harmful consequences of excessive immune activation.
Sodora
Donald L
DL
Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA.
Allan
Jonathan S
JS
Apetrei
Cristian
C
Brenchley
Jason M
JM
Douek
Daniel C
DC
Else
James G
JG
Estes
Jacob D
JD
Hahn
Beatrice H
BH
Hirsch
Vanessa M
VM
Kaur
Amitinder
A
Kirchhoff
Frank
F
Muller-Trutwin
Michaela
M
Pandrea
Ivona
I
Schmitz
Jörn E
JE
Silvestri
Guido
G
D016915:AIDS Vaccines / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000628:therapy*; D000818:Animals; D016665:Cercocebus atys / Q000276:immunology; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops / Q000276:immunology; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007110:Immunity, Active / Q000276:immunology; D048528:Mandrillus / Q000276:immunology; D008992:Monkey Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D016097:Simian Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000276:immunology* / Q000635:transmission; D015302:Simian Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology
D016915:AIDS Vaccines