Expression of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 tat from a replication-deficient herpes simplex type 1 vector induces antigen-specific T cell responses

• Published in: Vaccine 2006-11, Vol.24 (49), p.7148-7158
• Main Authors: Bozac, Aleksandra, Berto, Elena, Vasquez, Federica, Grandi, Paola, Caputo, Antonella, Manservigi, Roberto, Ensoli, Barbara, Marconi, Peggy
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome; Administration, Intranasal; AIDS; AIDS Vaccines - administration & dosage; AIDS Vaccines - immunology; Animals; Applied microbiology; Biological and medical sciences; Blotting, Western; Cell Proliferation; Cercopithecus aethiops; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene Products, tat - biosynthesis; Gene Products, tat - immunology; Genes; Genetic Vectors; Herpes simplex virus 1; Herpesvirus 1, Human - genetics; Herpesvirus 1, Human - immunology; HIV; HIV-tat protein; HSV-1 replication-defective vector; Human immunodeficiency virus; Human immunodeficiency virus 1; Human viral diseases; Immune system; Immunization; Immunization Schedule; Immunoglobulin G - biosynthesis; Immunoglobulin G - genetics; Infectious diseases; Injections, Subcutaneous; Interferon-gamma - immunology; Medical sciences; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Microbiology; Miscellaneous; Plasmids - genetics; Spleen - cytology; Spleen - immunology; T-Lymphocytes - immunology; Vaccine; Vaccines; Vaccines, antisera, therapeutical immunoglobulins and monoclonal antibodies (general aspects); Vaccines, Synthetic - immunology; Vero Cells; Viral diseases; Viral diseases of the lymphoid tissue and the blood. Aids; Viral diseases with cutaneous or mucosal lesions and viral diseases of the eye; Virology; Virus Replication - genetics
• ISSN: 0264-410X; 1873-2518
• DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2006.06.061

Herpes simplex type-1 virus (HSV-1) based vectors have been widely used in different gene therapy approaches and also as experimental vaccines against HSV-1 infection. Recent advances in the HSV-1 technology do support the use of replication defective HSV-1 as vaccine vectors for delivery of foreign antigens. We have examined the ability of a recombinant replication-defective HSV-1 vector expressing the HIV-1 Tat protein to induce long-term Tat-specific immune responses in the Balb/c murine model. The results showed that vector administration by the subcutaneous route elicits anti-Tat specific T-cell mediated immune responses in mice characterized by the presence of the Tat-specific cytotoxic activity and production of high levels of IFN-γ.