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Title: Immunization of neonatal mice with LAMP/p55 HIV gag DNA elicits robust immune responses that last to adulthood

Journal Article · · Virology
 [1];  [2]; ; ; ;  [1];  [3];  [4];  [3]
  1. Laboratory of Dermatology and Immunodeficiency, LIM-56, School of Medicine, University of Sao Paulo (Brazil)
  2. Center for Vaccine Development, University of Maryland, Baltimore (United States)
  3. Laboratorio de Virologia e Terapia Experimental do Centro de Pesquisas Aggeu Magalhaes-CPqAM, Fiocruz (Brazil)
  4. Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore (United States)

Successful T cell priming in early postnatal life that can generate effective long-lasting responses until adulthood is critical in HIV vaccination strategies because it prevents early sexual initiation and breastfeeding transmission of HIV. A chimeric DNA vaccine encoding p55 HIV gag associated with lysosome-associated membrane protein 1 (LAMP-1; which drives the antigen to the MIIC compartment), has been used to enhance cellular and humoral antigen-specific responses in adult mice and macaques. Herein, we investigated LAMP-1/gag vaccine immunogenicity in the neonatal period in mice and its ability to generate long-lasting effects. Neonatal vaccination with chimeric LAMP/gag generated stronger Gag-specific immune responses, as measured by the breadth of the Gag peptide-specific IFN-{gamma}, proliferative responsiveness, cytokine production and antibody production, all of which revealed activation of CD4+ T cells as well as the generation of a more robust CTL response compared to gag vaccine alone. To induce long-lived T and B cell memory responses, it was necessary to immunize neonates with the chimeric LAMP/gag DNA vaccine. The LAMP/gag DNA vaccine strategy could be particularly useful for generating an anti-HIV immune response in the early postnatal period capable of inducing long-term immunological memory.

OSTI ID:
21417250
Journal Information:
Virology, Vol. 406, Issue 1; Other Information: DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2010.06.050; PII: S0042-6822(10)00441-1; Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.; ISSN 0042-6822
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English