Recombinant rabies virus as potential live-viral Vaccines for HIV-1

Recombinant, replication-competent rabies virus (RV) vaccine strain-based v ectors were developed expressing HIV type I (HIV-1) envelope glycoprotein ( gp160) from both a laboratory-adapted (CXCR4-tropic) and a primary (dual-tr opic) HIV-1 isolate. An additional transcription stop/start unit within the RV genome was used to express HIV-1 gp160 in addition to the other RV prot eins, The HIV-1 gp160 protein was stably and functionally expressed, as ind icated by fusion of human T cell lines after infection with the recombinant RVs, Inoculation of mice with the recombinant RVs expressing HIV-1 gp160 i nduced a strong humoral response directed against the HIV-1 envelope protei n after a single boost with recombinant HIV-1 gp120 protein. Moreover, high neutralization titers up to 1:800 against HIV-1 could be detected in the m ouse sera. These data indicate that a live recombinant RV, a rhabdovirus, e xpressing HIV-1 gp160 may serve as an effective vector for an HIV-1 vaccine .