vaxfectin and Viremia

We evaluated the immunogenicity and efficacy of Vaxfectin(®) adjuvanted SIV DNA vaccines in mice and macaques. Vaccination of mice with Vaxfectin(®) adjuvanted SIV gag DNA induced higher humoral immune responses than administration of unadjuvanted DNA, whereas similar levels of cellular immunity were elicited. Vaxfectin(®) adjuvanted SIVmac251 gag and env DNA immunization of rhesus macaques was used to examine magnitude, durability, and efficacy of humoral immunity. Vaccinated macaques elicited potent neutralizing antibodies able to cross-neutralize the heterologous SIVsmE660 Env. We found remarkable durability of Gag and Env humoral responses, sustained during ~2 y of follow-up. The Env-specific antibody responses induced by Vaxfectin(®) adjuvanted env DNA vaccination disseminated into mucosal tissues, as demonstrated by their presence in saliva, including responses to the V1-V2 region, and rectal fluids. The efficacy of the immune responses was evaluated upon intrarectal challenge with low repeated dose SIVmac251. Although 2 of the 3 vaccinees became infected, these animals showed significantly lower peak virus loads and lower chronic viremia than non-immunized infected controls. Thus, Vaxfectin(®) adjuvanted DNA is a promising vaccine approach for inducing potent immune responses able to control the highly pathogenic SIVmac251.

Topics: Adjuvants, Immunologic; Animals; Antibodies, Neutralizing; Antibodies, Viral; Gene Products, env; Gene Products, gag; Immunity, Humoral; Immunity, Mucosal; Macaca mulatta; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Phosphatidylethanolamines; SAIDS Vaccines; Simian Immunodeficiency Virus; Vaccination; Vaccines, DNA; Viremia

A prototype dengue-1 DNA vaccine was shown to be safe and immunogenic in a previous Phase 1 clinical trial. Anti-dengue-1 neutralizing antibody responses were detectable only in the group of volunteers receiving the high dose of nonadjuvanted vaccine and the antibody titers were low. Vaxfectin(®), a lipid-based adjuvant, enhances the immunogenicity of DNA vaccines. We conducted a nonhuman primate study to evaluate the effect of Vaxfectin(®) on the immunogenicity of a tetravalent dengue DNA vaccine. Animals were immunized on days 0, 28 and 84, with each immunization consisting of 3mg of Vaxfectin(®)-adjuvanted tetravalent dengue DNA vaccine. The use of Vaxfectin(®) resulted in a significant increase in anti-dengue neutralizing antibody responses against dengue-1, -3 and -4. There was little to no effect on T cell responses as measured by interferon gamma ELISPOT assay. Animals immunized with the Vaxfectin(®)-formulated tetravalent DNA vaccine showed significant protection against live dengue-2 virus challenge compared to control animals (0.75 mean days of viremia vs 3.3 days). Animals vaccinated with nonadjuvanted DNA had a mean 2.0 days of viremia. These results support further evaluation of the Vaxfectin(®)-adjuvanted tetravalent dengue DNA vaccine in a Phase 1 clinical trial.

Topics: Adjuvants, Immunologic; Animals; Antibodies, Neutralizing; Antibodies, Viral; Dengue; Dengue Vaccines; Disease Models, Animal; Enzyme-Linked Immunospot Assay; Macaca mulatta; Phosphatidylethanolamines; Primate Diseases; Primates; T-Lymphocytes; Vaccines, DNA; Viremia