Glucopyranosyl lipid A adjuvant significantly enhances HIV specific T and B cell responses elicited by a DNA-MVA-protein vaccine regimen

PLoS One. 2014 Jan 23;9(1):e84707. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0084707. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Using a unique vaccine antigen matched and single HIV Clade C approach we have assessed the immunogenicity of a DNA-poxvirus-protein strategy in mice and rabbits, administering MVA and protein immunizations either sequentially or simultaneously and in the presence of a novel TLR4 adjuvant, GLA-AF. Mice were vaccinated with combinations of HIV env/gag-pol-nef plasmid DNA followed by MVA-C (HIV env/gag-pol-nef) with HIV CN54gp140 protein (+/-GLA-AF adjuvant) and either co-administered in different muscles of the same animal with MVA-C or given sequentially at 3-week intervals. The DNA prime established a population of B cells that were able to mount a statistically significant anamnestic response to the boost vaccines. The greatest antigen-specific antibody response was observed in animals that received all vaccine components. Moreover, a high proportion of the total mucosal IgG (20 - 50%) present in the vaginal vault of these vaccinated animals was vaccine antigen-specific. The potent elicitation of antigen-specific immune responses to this vaccine modality was also confirmed in rabbits. Importantly, co-administration of MVA-C with the GLA-AF adjuvanted HIV CN54gp140 protein significantly augmented the antigen-specific T cell responses to the Gag antigen, a transgene product expressed by the MVA-C vector in a separate quadriceps muscle. We have demonstrated that co-administration of MVA and GLA-AF adjuvanted HIV CN54gp140 protein was equally effective in the generation of humoral responses as a sequential vaccination modality thus shortening and simplifying the immunization schedule. In addition, a significant further benefit of the condensed vaccination regime was that T cell responses to proteins expressed by the MVA-C were potently enhanced, an effect that was likely due to enhanced immunostimulation in the presence of systemic GLA-AF.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • AIDS Vaccines / administration & dosage
  • Adjuvants, Immunologic / administration & dosage*
  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Viral / blood
  • B-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Cytokines / metabolism
  • Female
  • HIV Infections / immunology
  • HIV Infections / prevention & control*
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin A / blood
  • Immunoglobulin G / blood
  • Lipid A / administration & dosage
  • Lipid A / analogs & derivatives*
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Plasmids / administration & dosage
  • Rabbits
  • Spleen / immunology
  • Spleen / metabolism
  • Spleen / pathology
  • T-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • Vaccination*
  • Vaccine Potency
  • Vaccines, DNA / administration & dosage
  • Viral Vaccines / administration & dosage
  • env Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus / immunology

Substances

  • AIDS Vaccines
  • Adjuvants, Immunologic
  • Antibodies, Viral
  • Cytokines
  • Immunoglobulin A
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Lipid A
  • MVA vaccine
  • Vaccines, DNA
  • Viral Vaccines
  • env Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus
  • gp140 envelope protein, Human immunodeficiency virus 1