Transgenic Plasmodium that expresses HIV-1 Gag elicits immunity and protects mice against vaccinia virus-gag and malarial parasites.

Abstract

Malaria and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection overlap in many regions of the world. Our goal was to determine the feasibility of developing transgenic Plasmodium berghei that expresses HIV-1 Gag, PbGAG, as a conceptual bivalent vaccine against both HIV-1 infection and malaria. Immunization of mice with PbGAG induced specific responses to the HIV-1 Gag. Importantly, mice vaccinated with PbGAG were significantly protected from challenge with vaccinia virus-gag (VV-gag) with an average 30-fold reduction in titer (P<0.05). In addition, mice immunized with PbGAG developed Plasmodium-specific immune responses and the immunized animals were protected from challenges with blood-stage P. berghei NK65 and Plasmodium yoelii 17XL. We demonstrated a novel vaccination strategy that uses a live transgenic protozoan parasite-based bivalent vaccine to immunize mice and confer significant levels of protection against VV-gag and malarial parasite challenges. These observations have important implications for the development of a new form of bivalent vaccine against both HIV-1 and malaria.

• Authors: Bo Jiang, Li Qin, Yanhua Du, Nanzheng Peng, Ling Chen, Zhiwei Chen, Xiaoping Chen
• Journal: Vaccine (Vaccine) Vol. 28 Issue 50 Pg. 7915-22 (Nov 23 2010) ISSN: 1873-2518 [Electronic] Netherlands
• PMID: 20933565 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• AIDS Vaccines
• Antibodies, Protozoan
• HIV Antibodies
• Malaria Vaccines
• gag Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus
• Interferon-gamma

Topics

• AIDS Vaccines (immunology)
• Animals
• Antibodies, Protozoan (blood)
• Female
• HIV Antibodies (blood)
• HIV-1 (immunology)
• Interferon-gamma (immunology)
• Malaria (immunology, prevention & control)
• Malaria Vaccines (immunology)
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred BALB C
• Organisms, Genetically Modified (genetics, immunology)
• Ovary (virology)
• Plasmodium berghei (genetics, immunology)
• Plasmodium yoelii (immunology)
• Spleen (cytology, immunology)
• Transfection
• Vaccinia (immunology, prevention & control)
• gag Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (immunology)