Evaluation of a recombinant Listeria monocytogenes expressing an HIV protein that protects mice against viral challenge

Vaccine strategies that utilize cell mediated immunity to control infection will be a necessary component of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) vaccin es. In previous studies we have shown that a Listeria monocytogenes recombi nant expressing HIV-Gag elicits strong CD8(+) and CD4(+) T cell responses a gainst HIV Gag in addition to its own secreted proteins. Here. we show that Lm-Gag can protect mice against a viral challenge with a recombinant vacci nia virus expressing Gag, in an antigen specific manner, and that this prot ection is T cell mediated. These results further support the use of L. mono cytogenes as a Vaccine approach for HIV through the induction of T cell imm unity. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.