title: A universal anti-HIV-1 Tat epitope vaccine that is fully synthetic and self-adjuvanting.
abstract: Circulating HIV-1 Tat protein is essential for maintenance of the chronic HIV replication that predicates both HIV transmission and clinical progression to AIDS/death. A synthetic anti-Tat epitope vaccine (TUTI-16) was designed to induce neutralizing antibodies to Tat and, hopefully, provide immunological control of HIV replication. TUTI-16 is composed of (1) a conserved Tat B cell epitope (Tat 4-12), rendered universal by introducing known variant amino acids at variable positions 7, 9 and 12 during solid phase synthesis, (2) a promiscuous T helper sequence and (3) a lipopeptide toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) agonist. TUTI-16 induced high titer antibodies against all 8 known variants of the Tat epitope.
authors.affiliation: Thymon L.L.C., Vaccine Development, Short Hills, NJ 07078, USA. gidgold@gmail.com
authors.forename: Gideon
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Goldstein
authors.forename: John J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Chicca
mesh_terms: D016915:AIDS Vaccines / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000818:Animals; D018985:Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D055666:Lipopeptides / Q000008:administration & dosage; D051381:Rats; D054322:tat Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D016915:AIDS Vaccines; D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D018985:Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D055666:Lipopeptides; D054322:tat Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus