Project description:Strain 68-1–derived Rhesus Cytomegalovirus (RhCMV) vectors expressing simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) proteins (RhCMV/SIV) are able to elicit and maintain cellular immune responses that stringently control and subsequently clear a mucosal challenge with highly pathogenic SIV in 50-60% of vaccinated rhesus monkeys (RMs). Here, we utilize whole blood transcriptomic profiling to identify host responses correlated to RhCMV/SIV efficacy.
Project description:Deep transcriptional sequencing of mucosal challenge compartment from rhesus macaques acutely infected with simian immunodeficiency virus implicates loss of cell adhesion preceding immune activation
Project description:Molecular basis for CNS dysfunction in simian immunodeficiency virus-infected rhesus monkeys. We used microarrays to identify differentially expressed genes in chronic simian immunodeficiency virus-infected rhesus monkeys.
Project description:We sought to test whether vaccine-induced immune responses could protect rhesus macaques (RMs) against upfront heterologous challenges with an R5 simian-human immunodeficiency virus, SHIV-2873Nip. We immunized the RMs with recombinant Env proteins heterologous to the challenge virus. For induction of immune responses against Gag, Tat, and Nef, we explored a strategy of immunization with overlapping synthetic peptides (OSP). The immune responses against Gag and Tat were finally boosted with recombinant proteins. The vaccinees and a group of ten control animals were given five low-dose intrarectal (i.r.) challenges with SHIV-2873Nip. All controls and seven out of eight vaccinees became systemically infected; there was no significant difference in viremia levels of vaccinees vs. controls. Prevention of viremia was observed in one vaccinee which showed strong boosting of virus-specific cellular immunity during virus exposures. The protected animal showed no challenge virus-specific neutralizing antibodies in the TZM-bl or A3R5 cell-based assays and had low level ADCC activity after the virus exposures. Microarray data strongly supported a role for cellular immunity in the protected animal. Our study represents a case of protection against heterologous tier 2 SHIV-C by vaccine-induced, virus-specific cellular immune responses.
Project description:We sought to test whether vaccine-induced immune responses could protect rhesus macaques (RMs) against upfront heterologous challenges with an R5 simian-human immunodeficiency virus, SHIV-2873Nip. We immunized the RMs with recombinant Env proteins heterologous to the challenge virus. For induction of immune responses against Gag, Tat, and Nef, we explored a strategy of immunization with overlapping synthetic peptides (OSP). The immune responses against Gag and Tat were finally boosted with recombinant proteins. The vaccinees and a group of ten control animals were given five low-dose intrarectal (i.r.) challenges with SHIV-2873Nip. All controls and seven out of eight vaccinees became systemically infected; there was no significant difference in viremia levels of vaccinees vs. controls. Prevention of viremia was observed in one vaccinee which showed strong boosting of virus-specific cellular immunity during virus exposures. The protected animal showed no challenge virus-specific neutralizing antibodies in the TZM-bl or A3R5 cell-based assays and had low level ADCC activity after the virus exposures. Microarray data strongly supported a role for cellular immunity in the protected animal. Our study represents a case of protection against heterologous tier 2 SHIV-C by vaccine-induced, virus-specific cellular immune responses. For the protected RM, blood was collected before vaccination, on the day of first virus exposure and six weeks after last virus challenge. Lymph node and rectal pinch biopsies were performed before vaccination and six weeks after last virus challenge. Blood was collected in tempus tubes and processed immediately according to the manufacturer’s instructions and stored at -80C. The biopsy specimens were cut into small pieces and immediately placed into RNAlater solution (Qiagen, Valencia, CA) and also stored at -80C. Total RNA from blood, lymph node and rectal biopsies was extracted using RNAeasy extraction kits (Qiagen, Valencia, CA). cDNA labeling, hybridization, staining and scanning were performed according to the manufacturer’s instructions (Affymetrix, Santa Clara, CA) for rhesus gene expression arrays.
Project description:Molecular basis for CNS dysfunction in simian immunodeficiency virus-infected rhesus monkeys. We used microarrays to identify differentially expressed genes in chronic simian immunodeficiency virus-infected rhesus monkeys. Frontal lobe samples were obtained from control and SIV infected animals for RNA extraction and hybridization on Affymetrix microarrays. We sought to better understand the gene that changes in gene expression with SIV infection in the frontal lobe.