Vaccination of mice with replication-defective human immunodeficiency virus induces cellular and humoral immunity and protects against vaccinia virus-gag challenge.

Abstract Here we describe as a potential vaccine candidate a replication-defective HIV that encodes multiple viral genes in addition to a cassette that includes both truncated cyclin T1 and an autofluorescent protein. After confirming functionality of the cyclin T1, we immunized mice intramuscularly once or twice with the replication-defective HIV vector pseudotyped with vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) G protein (RD HIV), a plasmid encoding CMV-driven gag ( gag DNA), or adenovirus gag (Ad5- gag ). Capsid-specific antibody titers following RD HIV immunization were >10 6 /ml and approximately equivalent to those induced by gag DNA and Ad5- gag . Antibodies against the autofluorescent protein and VSV G were also detected. After RD HIV immunization ELISpot assays demonstrated Gag-specific interferon-γ (IFN-γ) SFU equivalent to that of Ad5- gag and fourfold greater than that of gag DNA. HIV polymerase-specific IFN-γ SFU values were similar, and boosting increased both antibody titers and the IFN-γ response. Challenge using vaccinia virus (VV)- gag demonstrated significantly lower recoverable VV for RD HIV-immunized mice compared to controls. No significant differences were observed in vaccinated mice challenged with wild-type VV. This study demonstrates the efficacy of RD HIV in conferring HIV-specific immunity and protection in mice and suggests its potential use in humans as either a prophylactic or a therapeutic vaccine.