scholarly journals Therapeutic Vaccine in Chronically HIV-1-Infected Patients: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Phase IIa Trial with HTI-TriMix

Vaccines ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 209 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wesley de Jong ◽  
Lorna Leal ◽  
Jozefien Buyze ◽  
Pieter Pannus ◽  
Alberto Guardo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cell ◽  
Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte ◽  
Therapeutic Vaccine ◽  
Double Blind ◽  
Cell Responses ◽  
Study Product ◽  
Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Double Blinded ◽  
Viral Load Rebound ◽  
Hiv 1

Therapeutic vaccinations aim to re-educate human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1-specific immune responses to achieve durable control of HIV-1 replication in virally suppressed infected individuals after antiretroviral therapy (ART) is interrupted. In a double blinded, placebo-controlled phase IIa multicenter study, we investigated the safety and immunogenicity of intranodal administration of the HIVACAT T cell Immunogen (HTI)-TriMix vaccine. It consists of naked mRNA based on cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) targets of subdominant and conserved HIV-1 regions (HTI), in combination with mRNAs encoding constitutively active TLR4, the ligand for CD40 and CD70 as adjuvants (TriMix). We recruited HIV-1-infected individuals under stable ART. Study-arms HTI-TriMix, TriMix or Water for Injection were assigned in an 8:3:3 ratio. Participants received three vaccinations at weeks 0, 2, and 4 in an inguinal lymph node. Two weeks after the last vaccination, immunogenicity was evaluated using ELISpot assay. ART was interrupted at week 6 to study the effect of the vaccine on viral rebound. The vaccine was considered safe and well tolerated. Eighteen percent (n = 37) of the AEs were considered definitely related to the study product (grade 1 or 2). Three SAEs occurred: two were unrelated to the study product, and one was possibly related to ART interruption (ATI). ELISpot assays to detect T cell responses using peptides covering the HTI sequence showed no significant differences in immunogenicity between groups. There were no significant differences in viral load rebound dynamics after ATI between groups. The vaccine was safe and well tolerated. We were not able to demonstrate immunogenic effects of the vaccine.

scholarly journals De Novo Generation of Escape Variant-Specific CD8+ T-Cell Responses following Cytotoxic T-Lymphocyte Escape in Chronic Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Infection

2005 ◽  
Vol 79 (20) ◽  
pp. 12952-12960 ◽  
Author(s):  
Todd M. Allen ◽  
Xu G. Yu ◽  
Elizabeth T. Kalife ◽  
Laura L. Reyor ◽  
Mathias Lichterfeld ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cell ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte ◽  
T Cell Responses ◽  
T Cell Epitopes ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Cell Responses ◽  
Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Hiv 1

ABSTRACT Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) evades CD8+ T-cell responses through mutations within targeted epitopes, but little is known regarding its ability to generate de novo CD8+ T-cell responses to such mutants. Here we examined gamma interferon-positive, HIV-1-specific CD8+ T-cell responses and autologous viral sequences in an HIV-1-infected individual for more than 6 years following acute infection. Fourteen optimal HIV-1 T-cell epitopes were targeted by CD8+ T cells, four of which underwent mutation associated with dramatic loss of the original CD8+ response. However, following the G357S escape in the HLA-A11-restricted Gag349-359 epitope and the decline of wild-type-specific CD8+ T-cell responses, a novel CD8+ T-cell response equal in magnitude to the original response was generated against the variant epitope. CD8+ T cells targeting the variant epitope did not exhibit cross-reactivity against the wild-type epitope but rather utilized a distinct T-cell receptor Vβ repertoire. Additional studies of chronically HIV-1-infected individuals expressing HLA-A11 demonstrated that the majority of the subjects targeted the G357S escape variant of the Gag349-359 epitope, while the wild-type consensus sequence was significantly less frequently recognized. These data demonstrate that de novo responses against escape variants of CD8+ T-cell epitopes can be generated in chronic HIV-1 infection and provide the rationale for developing vaccines to induce CD8+ T-cell responses directed against both the wild-type and variant forms of CD8 epitopes to prevent the emergence of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte escape variants.

scholarly journals Selection, Transmission, and Reversion of an Antigen-Processing Cytotoxic T-Lymphocyte Escape Mutation in Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Infection

2004 ◽  
Vol 78 (13) ◽  
pp. 7069-7078 ◽  
Author(s):  
Todd M. Allen ◽  
Marcus Altfeld ◽  
Xu G. Yu ◽  
Kristin M. O'Sullivan ◽  
Mathias Lichterfeld ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cell ◽  
Cell Response ◽  
Antigen Processing ◽  
Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte ◽  
Cd8 T Cell ◽  
T Cell Response ◽  
Cell Responses ◽  
Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Hiv 1

ABSTRACT Numerous studies now support that human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) evolution is influenced by immune selection pressure, with population studies showing an association between specific HLA alleles and mutations within defined cytotoxic T-lymphocyte epitopes. Here we combine sequence data and functional studies of CD8 T-cell responses to demonstrate that allele-specific immune pressures also select for mutations flanking CD8 epitopes that impair antigen processing. In persons expressing HLA-A3, we demonstrate consistent selection for a mutation in a C-terminal flanking residue of the normally immunodominant Gag KK9 epitope that prevents its processing and presentation, resulting in a rapid decline in the CD8 T-cell response. This single amino acid substitution also lies within a second HLA-A3-restricted epitope, with the mutation directly impairing recognition by CD8 T cells. Transmission of the mutation to subjects expressing HLA-A3 was shown to prevent the induction of normally immunodominant acute-phase responses to both epitopes. However, subsequent in vivo reversion of the mutation was coincident with delayed induction of new CD8 T-cell responses to both epitopes. These data demonstrate that mutations within the flanking region of an HIV-1 epitope can impair recognition by an established CD8 T-cell response and that transmission of these mutations alters the acute-phase CD8+ T-cell response. Moreover, reversion of these mutations in the absence of the original immune pressure reveals the potential plasticity of immunologically selected evolutionary changes.

scholarly journals Comprehensive Epitope Analysis of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV-1)-Specific T-Cell Responses Directed against the Entire Expressed HIV-1 Genome Demonstrate Broadly Directed Responses, but No Correlation to Viral Load

2003 ◽  
Vol 77 (3) ◽  
pp. 2081-2092 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. M. Addo ◽  
X. G. Yu ◽  
A. Rathod ◽  
D. Cohen ◽  
R. L. Eldridge ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cell ◽  
T Cell Responses ◽  
Protein Subunits ◽  
Cell Responses ◽  
Cellular Immune Responses ◽  
Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Total Magnitude ◽  
Cellular Immune ◽  
Hiv 1

ABSTRACT Cellular immune responses play a critical role in the control of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1); however, the breadth of these responses at the single-epitope level has not been comprehensively assessed. We therefore screened peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 57 individuals at different stages of HIV-1 infection for virus-specific T-cell responses using a matrix of 504 overlapping peptides spanning all expressed HIV-1 proteins in a gamma interferon-enzyme-linked immunospot (Elispot) assay. HIV-1-specific T-cell responses were detectable in all study subjects, with a median of 14 individual epitopic regions targeted per person (range, 2 to 42), and all 14 HIV-1 protein subunits were recognized. HIV-1 p24-Gag and Nef contained the highest epitope density and were also the most frequently recognized HIV-1 proteins. The total magnitude of the HIV-1-specific response ranged from 280 to 25,860 spot-forming cells (SFC)/106 PBMC (median, 4,245) among all study participants. However, the number of epitopic regions targeted, the protein subunits recognized, and the total magnitude of HIV-1-specific responses varied significantly among the tested individuals, with the strongest and broadest responses detectable in individuals with untreated chronic HIV-1 infection. Neither the breadth nor the magnitude of the total HIV-1-specific CD8+-T-cell responses correlated with plasma viral load. We conclude that a peptide matrix-based Elispot assay allows for rapid, sensitive, specific, and efficient assessment of cellular immune responses directed against the entire expressed HIV-1 genome. These data also suggest that the impact of T-cell responses on control of viral replication cannot be explained by the mere quantification of the magnitude and breadth of the CD8+-T-cell response, even if a comprehensive pan-genome screening approach is applied.

scholarly journals Enhanced immunogenicity using an alphavirus replicon DNA vaccine against human immunodeficiency virus type 1

2005 ◽  
Vol 86 (2) ◽  
pp. 349-354 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva K. L. Nordström ◽  
Mattias N. E. Forsell ◽  
Christina Barnfield ◽  
Eivor Bonin ◽  
Tomas Hanke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Dna Vaccine ◽  
Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type ◽  
Virus Type ◽  
Semliki Forest Virus ◽  
Cell Responses ◽  
Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Hiv 1

With the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) epidemic expanding at increasing speed, development of a safe and effective vaccine remains a high priority. One of the most central vaccine platforms considered is plasmid DNA. However, high doses of DNA and several immunizations are typically needed to achieve detectable T-cell responses. In this study, a Semliki Forest virus replicon DNA vaccine designed for human clinical trials, DREP.HIVA, encoding an antigen that is currently being used in human trials in the context of a conventional DNA plasmid, pTHr.HIVA, was generated. It was shown that a single immunization of DREP.HIVA stimulated HIV-1-specific T-cell responses in mice, suggesting that the poor immunogenicity of conventional DNA vaccines may be enhanced by using viral replicon-based plasmid systems. The results presented here support the evaluation of Semliki Forest virus replicon DNA vaccines in non-human primates and in clinical studies.

scholarly journals Ontogeny and Specificities of Mucosal and Blood Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1-Specific CD8+ Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes

2003 ◽  
Vol 77 (1) ◽  
pp. 291-300 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Musey ◽  
Y. Ding ◽  
J. Cao ◽  
J. Lee ◽  
C. Galloway ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type ◽  
Virus Type ◽  
Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte ◽  
Infected Individual ◽  
Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Hiv 1

ABSTRACT Induction of adaptive immunity to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) at the mucosal site of transmission is poorly understood but crucial in devising strategies to control and prevent infection. To gain further understanding of HIV-1-specific T-cell mucosal immunity, we established HIV-1-specific CD8+ cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) cell lines and clones from the blood, cervix, rectum, and semen of 12 HIV-1-infected individuals and compared their specificities, cytolytic function, and T-cell receptor (TCR) clonotypes. Blood and mucosal CD8+ CTL had common HIV-1 epitope specificities and major histocompatibility complex restriction patterns. Moreover, both systemic and mucosal CTL lysed targets with similar efficiency, primarily through the perforin-dependent pathway in in vitro studies. Sequence analysis of the TCRβ VDJ region revealed in some cases identical HIV-1-specific CTL clones in different compartments in the same HIV-1-infected individual. These results clearly establish that a subset of blood and mucosal HIV-1-specific CTL can have a common origin and can traffic between anatomically distinct compartments. Thus, these effectors can provide immune surveillance at the mucosa, where rapid responses are needed to contain HIV-1 infection.

scholarly journals Hierarchical Targeting of Subtype C Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Proteins by CD8+ T Cells: Correlation with Viral Load

2004 ◽  
Vol 78 (7) ◽  
pp. 3233-3243 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agatha Masemola ◽  
Tumelo Mashishi ◽  
Greg Khoury ◽  
Phineas Mohube ◽  
Pauline Mokgotho ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Viral Load ◽  
T Cell ◽  
T Cell Responses ◽  
Subtype C ◽  
Viral Control ◽  
Cell Responses ◽  
Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Hiv 1

ABSTRACT An understanding of the relationship between the breadth and magnitude of T-cell epitope responses and viral loads is important for the design of effective vaccines. For this study, we screened a cohort of 46 subtype C human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected individuals for T-cell responses against a panel of peptides corresponding to the complete subtype C genome. We used a gamma interferon ELISPOT assay to explore the hypothesis that patterns of T-cell responses across the expressed HIV-1 genome correlate with viral control. The estimated median time from seroconversion to response for the cohort was 13 months, and the order of cumulative T-cell responses against HIV proteins was as follows: Nef > Gag > Pol > Env > Vif > Rev > Vpr > Tat > Vpu. Nef was the most intensely targeted protein, with 97.5% of the epitopes being clustered within 119 amino acids, constituting almost one-third of the responses across the expressed genome. The second most targeted region was p24, comprising 17% of the responses. There was no correlation between viral load and the breadth of responses, but there was a weak positive correlation (r = 0.297; P = 0.034) between viral load and the total magnitude of responses, implying that the magnitude of T-cell recognition did not contribute to viral control. When hierarchical patterns of recognition were correlated with the viral load, preferential targeting of Gag was significantly (r = 0.445; P = 0.0025) associated with viral control. These data suggest that preferential targeting of Gag epitopes, rather than the breadth or magnitude of the response across the genome, may be an important marker of immune efficacy. These data have significance for the design of vaccines and for interpretation of vaccine-induced responses.

scholarly journals Induction of Potent CD8+ T-Cell Responses by Novel Biodegradable Nanoparticles Carrying Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 gp120

2007 ◽  
Vol 81 (18) ◽  
pp. 10009-10016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Wang ◽  
Tomofumi Uto ◽  
Takami Akagi ◽  
Mitsuru Akashi ◽  
Masanori Baba
Keyword(s):  
Human Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
T Cells ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type ◽  
Virus Type ◽  
Memory T Cells ◽  
Cell Responses ◽  
Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Hiv 1

ABSTRACT The mainstream of recent anti-AIDS vaccines is a prime/boost approach with multiple doses of the target DNA of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and recombinant viral vectors. In this study, we have attempted to construct an efficient protein-based vaccine using biodegradable poly(γ-glutamic acid) (γ-PGA) nanoparticles (NPs), which are capable of inducing potent cellular immunity. A significant expansion of CD8+ T cells specific to the major histocompatibility complex class I-restricted gp120 epitope was observed in mice intranasally immunized once with gp120-carrying NPs but not with gp120 alone or gp120 together with the B-subunit of cholera toxin. Both the gp120-encapsulating and -immobilizing forms of NPs could induce antigen-specific spleen CD8+ T cells having a functional profile of cytotoxic T lymphocytes. Long-lived memory CD8+ T cells could also be elicited. Although a substantial decay in the effector memory T cells was observed over time in the immunized mice, the central memory T cells remained relatively constant from day 30 to day 238 after immunization. Furthermore, the memory CD8+ T cells rapidly expanded with boosting with the same immunogen. In addition, γ-PGA NPs were found to be a much stronger inducer of antigen-specific CD8+ T-cell responses than nonbiodegradable polystyrene NPs. Thus, γ-PGA NPs carrying various HIV-1 antigens may have great potential as a novel priming and/or boosting tool in current vaccination regimens for the induction of cellular immune responses.

scholarly journals Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1-Specific CD8+ T-Cell Responses during Primary Infection Are Major Determinants of the Viral Set Point and Loss of CD4+ T Cells

2009 ◽  
Vol 83 (15) ◽  
pp. 7641-7648 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hendrik Streeck ◽  
Jonathan S. Jolin ◽  
Ying Qi ◽  
Bader Yassine-Diab ◽  
Randall C. Johnson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Chronic Infection ◽  
Set Point ◽  
Cell Responses ◽  
Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Cell Decline ◽  
Hiv 1 ◽  
Ctl Responses

ABSTRACT Primary HIV-1 infection (PHI) is marked by a flu-like syndrome and high levels of viremia that decrease to a viral set point with the first emergence of virus-specific CD8+ T-cell responses. Here, we investigated in a large cohort of 527 subjects the immunodominance pattern of the first virus-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) responses developed during PHI in comparison to CTL responses in chronic infection and demonstrated a distinct relationship between the early virus-specific CTL responses and the viral set point, as well as the slope of CD4+ T-cell decline. CTL responses during PHI followed clear hierarchical immunodominance patterns that were lost during the transition to chronic infection. Importantly, the immunodominance patterns of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-specific CTL responses detected in primary, but not in chronic, HIV-1 infection were significantly associated with the subsequent set point of viral replication. Moreover, the preservation of the initial CD8+ T-cell immunodominance patterns from the acute into the chronic phase of infection was significantly associated with slower CD4+ T-cell decline. Taken together, these data show that the specificity of the initial CTL response to HIV is critical for the subsequent control of viremia and have important implications for the rational selection of antigens for future HIV-1 vaccines.

scholarly journals Potentially Exposed but Uninfected Individuals Produce Cytotoxic and Polyfunctional Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1-Specific CD8+ T-Cell Responses Which Can Be Defined to the Epitope Level

2008 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. 1745-1748 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. L. Erickson ◽  
C. B. Willberg ◽  
V. McMahan ◽  
A. Liu ◽  
S. P. Buchbinder ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type ◽  
Virus Type ◽  
Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte ◽  
T Cell Responses ◽  
Cell Responses ◽  
Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Sex With Men

ABSTRACT We measured CD8+ T-cell responses in 12 potentially exposed but uninfected men who have sex with men by using cytokine flow cytometry. Four of the individuals screened exhibited polyfunctional immune responses to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Gag or Vif. The minimum cytotoxic T lymphocyte epitope was mapped in one Gag responder.

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