Sw. Barnett et al., VACCINATION WITH HIV-1 GP120 DNA INDUCES IMMUNE-RESPONSES THAT ARE BOOSTED BY A RECOMBINANT GP120 PROTEIN SUBUNIT, Vaccine, 15(8), 1997, pp. 869-873
Small animals were immunized with plasmid DNA encoding HIV-1 envelope
gp120 either intramuscularly by needle injection (mice and guinea pigs
) or epidermally with the Accell(TM) gene gun (guinea pigs). Subsequen
tly, the animals were boosted with a recombinant gp120 protein subunit
vaccine in an oil-in-water based adjuvant, MF59. Antibodies and cytot
oxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) immune responses to the HIV envelope glycoprot
ein were observed in animals immunized with gp120 DNA derived from the
HIV-1(SF2), laboratory strain or from HIV-1 field isolates. Titers of
ELISA antibodies and serum neutralizing antibodies against the HIV-1(
SF2) laboratory isolate were substantially increased in DNA-immunized
animals following a single boost with recombinant gp120 protein subuni
t. This DNA prime/protein subunit boost immunization approach may be i
mportant for vaccination against infectious agents such as HIV for whi
ch it is difficult to raise strong antiviral humoral responses with DN
A vaccination alone. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.