title: A recombinant multi-epitope protein MEP1 elicits efficient long-term immune responses against HIV-1 infection.
abstract: The effective protective HIV vaccine should elicit either protective antibodies or effective T cell response, or both. To improve the efficacy of HIV-1 vaccines, HLA polymorphism and HIV-1 diversity are 2 key factors to be considered for vaccine development. In this study, we expressed a recombinant multi-epitope protein MEP1 which has the same amino acid sequence as a DNA vaccine for Chinese population in our previous report. We found that MEP1 alone could elicit moderate levels of humoral and cellular immune responses, but these responses could not provide protection from challenge with a recombinant virus rTTV-lucgag, which expresses Gag of HIV-1 CRF_07BC. Nevertheless, when MEP1 was immunized with aluminum adjuvant, both humoral and cellular immune responses were significantly increased, and they were protective against virus infection; meanwhile, MEP1 with aluminum not only elicited early (10 d post immunization) but also a long-term (at least 44 weeks post immunization) immune responses in BALB/c mice. These results suggested that MEP1 has the potential to be developed as an effective vaccine candidate, and that suitable adjuvant is necessary for this protein to generate protective immune responses.
authors.affiliation: a State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology , Beijing , China.|b Department of Microbiology , Third Military Medical University , Chongqing , China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: c School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Science, Wenzhou Medical University , Wenzhou , Zhejiang , China.
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: a State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology , Beijing , China.
authors.forename: Weilai
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: a State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology , Beijing , China.
authors.forename: Jingjing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: a State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology , Beijing , China.
authors.forename: Xiuzhe
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ning
authors.affiliation: a State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology , Beijing , China.
authors.forename: Qiao
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: a State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology , Beijing , China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: a State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology , Beijing , China.
authors.forename: Junfeng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: a State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology , Beijing , China.|c School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Science, Wenzhou Medical University , Wenzhou , Zhejiang , China.
authors.forename: Zhihua
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kou
authors.affiliation: c School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Science, Wenzhou Medical University , Wenzhou , Zhejiang , China.
authors.forename: Yusen
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D016915:AIDS Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000534:Alum Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000818:Animals; D000939:Epitopes / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D015488:HIV Antigens / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D056724:Immunity, Humoral; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D016915:AIDS Vaccines; D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000534:Alum Compounds; D000939:Epitopes; D015488:HIV Antigens; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic; C041524:aluminum sulfate
keywords: AIDS; HIV-1; T cell responses; adjuvant; antibody; memory immune responses; multi-epitope protein