Mucosal antibody responses to vaccines targeting SIV protease cleavage sites or fulllength Gag and Env proteins in Mauritian cynomolgus macaques

Authors

• Hongzhao Li, University of Manitoba
• Yan Hai, University of Manitoba
• So-Yon Lim, Harvard Medical School
• Nikki Toledo, University of Manitoba
• Jose Crecente-Campo, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela
• Dane Schalk, Wisconsin National Primate Research Center
• Lin Li, Public Health Agency of Canada
• Robert W. Omange, University of Manitoba
• Tamara G. Dacoba, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela
• Lewis R. Liu, University of Manitoba
• Mohammad Abul Kashem, University of Manitoba
• Yanmin Wan, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
• Binhua Liang, Public Health Agency of Canada
• Qingsheng Li, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
• Eva Rakasz, Wisconsin National Primate Research Center
• Nancy Schultz-Darken, Wisconsin National Primate Research Center
• Maria J. Alonso, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela
• Francis A. Plummer, University of Manitoba
• James B. Whitney, Harvard Medical School
• Ma Luo, University of ManitobaFollow

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

2018

Citation

PLoS ONE 13 (8): e0202997.

Comments

© 2018 Li et al.

Open access

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0202997

Abstract

HIV mutates rapidly and infects CD4⁺ T cells, especially when they are activated. A vaccine targeting conserved, essential viral elements while limiting CD4⁺ T cell activation could be effective. Learning from natural immunity observed in a group of highly HIV-1 exposed seronegative Kenyan female sex workers, we are testing a novel candidate HIV vaccine targeting the 12 viral protease cleavage sites (PCSs) (the PCS vaccine), in comparison with a vaccine targeting full-length Gag and Env (the Gag/Env vaccine) in a Mauritian cynomolgus macaque/SIV model. In this study we evaluated these vaccines for induction of mucosal antibodies to SIV immunogens at the female genital tract. Bio-Plex and Western blot analyses of cervicovaginal lavage samples showed that both the PCS and Gag/Env vaccines can elicit mucosal IgG antibody responses to SIV immunogens. Significantly higher increase of anti-PCS antibodies was induced by the PCS vaccine than by the Gag/Env vaccine (p