Immune responses of a designed HIV-1 DNA vaccine on rhesus monkeys

According to the UNAIDS/WHO report (http:// www.unaids.org/Epi2005/doc/report.html), there are about 40.3 million HIV/AIDS survivors, and the new HIV infection number amounts to about 4.9 million, while the death number is some 3.1 million in the world in…     

Vaccine protection against acquisition of neutralization-resistant SIV challenges in rhesus monkeys

Preclinical studies of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) vaccine candidates have typically shown post-infection virological control, but protection against acquisition of infection has previously only been reported against neutralization-sensitive virus challenges. Here we demonstrate vaccine protection against acquisition of fully heterologous, neutralization-resistant simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) challenges in rhesus monkeys. Adenovirus/poxvirus and adenovirus/adenovirus-vector-based vaccines expressing SIV(SME543) Gag, Pol and Env antigens resulted in an 80% or greater reduction in the per-exposure probability of infection against repetitive, intrarectal SIV(MAC251) challenges in rhesus monkeys. Protection against acquisition of infection showed distinct immunological correlates compared with post-infection virological control and required the inclusion of Env in the vaccine regimen. These data demonstrate the proof-of-concept that optimized HIV-1 vaccine candidates can block acquisition of stringent, heterologous, neutralization-resistant virus challenges in rhesus monkeys.     

Profound early control of highly pathogenic SIV by an effector memory T-cell vaccine

The acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-causing lentiviruses human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) effectively evade host immunity and, once established, infections with these viruses are only rarely controlled by immunological mechanisms. However, the initial establishment of infection in the first few days after mucosal exposure, before viral dissemination and massive replication, may be more vulnerable to immune control. Here we report that SIV vaccines that include rhesus cytomegalovirus (RhCMV) vectors establish indefinitely persistent, high-frequency, SIV-specific effector memory T-cell (T(EM)) responses at potential sites of SIV replication in rhesus macaques and stringently control highly pathogenic SIV(MAC239) infection early after mucosal challenge. Thirteen of twenty-four rhesus macaques receiving either RhCMV vectors alone or RhCMV vectors followed by adenovirus 5 (Ad5) vectors (versus 0 of 9 DNA/Ad5-vaccinated rhesus macaques) manifested early complete control of SIV (undetectable plasma virus), and in twelve of these thirteen animals we observed long-term (≥1 year) protection. This was characterized by: occasional blips of plasma viraemia that ultimately waned; predominantly undetectable cell-associated viral load in blood and lymph node mononuclear cells; no depletion of effector-site CD4(+) memory T cells; no induction or boosting of SIV Env-specific antibodies; and induction and then loss of T-cell responses to an SIV protein (Vif) not included in the RhCMV vectors. Protection correlated with the magnitude of the peak SIV-specific CD8(+) T-cell responses in the vaccine phase, and occurred without anamnestic T-cell responses. Remarkably, long-term RhCMV vector-associated SIV control was insensitive to either CD8(+) or CD4(+) lymphocyte depletion and, at necropsy, cell-associated SIV was only occasionally measurable at the limit of detection with ultrasensitive assays, observations that indicate the possibility of eventual viral clearance. Thus, persistent vectors such as CMV and their associated T(EM) responses might significantly contribute to an efficacious HIV/AIDS vaccine.     

Eventual AIDS vaccine failure in a rhesus monkey by viral escape from cytotoxic T lymphocytes.

Potent virus-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses elicited by candidate AIDS vaccines have recently been shown to control viral replication and prevent clinical disease progression after pathogenic viral challenges in rhesus monkeys. Here we show that viral escape from CTL recognition can result in the eventual failure of this partial immune protection. Viral mutations that escape from CTL recognition have been previously described in humans infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and monkeys infected with simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV). In a cohort of rhesus monkeys that were vaccinated and subsequently infected with a pathogenic hybrid simian-human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV), the frequency of viral sequence mutations within CTL epitopes correlated with the level of viral replication. A single nucleotide mutation within an immunodominant Gag CTL epitope in an animal with undetectable plasma viral RNA resulted in viral escape from CTLs, a burst of viral replication, clinical disease progression, and death from AIDS-related complications. These data indicate that viral escape from CTL recognition may be a major limitation of the CTL-based AIDS vaccines that are likely to be administered to large human populations over the next several years.     

负载SIV抗原肽的中国恒河猴Mamu-B~* 1703可溶性单体及其四聚体的制备和鉴定

目的:制备负载SIV抗原肽的中国恒河猴Mamu-B*1703可溶性单体及其四聚体.方法:以含Mama-B*1703重链cDNA序列的pMD19-T克隆为模板,通过PCR的方法克隆Mama-B*1703重链基因,进而构建羧基端融合生物索化酶BirA底物肽(BSP)的Mamu-B*1703重链胞外域融合蛋白的表达载体,并在大肠杆菌中获得表达.β微球蛋白、SIV抗原肽共存时,通过稀释法复性可溶性Mamu-B*1703单体,经生物素化并纯化后与荧光素标记的链亲和素按4:1的比例混合形成四聚体.结果:ELISA检测显示获得具有正确构象的负载SIV抗原肽的Mamu-B-1703四聚体.结论:印度恒河猴Mamu.B}1701特异性抗原肽IW9,与中国恒河猴的Mamu-B*1703相结合形成可溶性Mamu-B*1703/IW9单体和四聚体.     

猕猴伸展抓握过程中的spike与LFP锁相相位分布特征分析

神经元动作电位(spike)的发放和局部场电位(local field potential,LFP)之间的锁相关系是重要的神经编码信息,但是目前的研究在连续运动过程中对锁相相位分布特征的分析仍比较缺乏.利用猕猴伸展抓握运动范式下的spike和LFP delta节律的锁相特性,分别在不同运动阶段,不同事件前后100 ms内,以及连续时间窗3种时间尺度下对M1、S1、PPC脑区的锁相相位分布变化进行了分析,实验发现在猕猴的连续运动中的不同阶段,spike和LFP的锁相相位分布具有不同的相位分布特点和相位分布峰值位置;对关键的事件TargetOn、CenterRelease、TargetHit发生前后各100 ms内的锁相相位分布进行分析,结果发现事件发生前后100 ms内的锁相相位分布具有显著差异性,锁相相位的峰值位置跟随时间增大;使用连续时间窗对运动中的锁相相位分布进行分析,结果表明锁相的相位分布在跟随时间变化,这种变化在CenterRelease事件发生前后更加剧烈,对相邻时间窗的均值差异分析表明伸手阶段内的锁相相位分布变化最为剧烈.对连续运动中不同的时间阶段锁相相位分布变化的分析所发现的规律,可以为解析大脑对运动过程中神经信息编码提供新的思路.