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Rare Good News from the HIV Vaccine Front
A vaccine that prevents HIV infection has eluded all research efforts to date. However, a vaccine that induces effective immunity and prevents clinical disease in infected people now seems a feasible goal, in light of a new report.
Researchers administered a vaccine composed of DNA that encoded proteins from both HIV and a related simian virus (SIV) to 12 monkeys. Eight of the monkeys also received an immune promoter -- the cytokine interleukin-2 (IL-2) fused to the Fc portion of IgG. Eight control monkeys received a sham vaccine. Six weeks later, all monkeys were challenged with a pathogenic recombinant strain of SIV/HIV.
The responses to the viral challenge differed dramatically between groups. Vaccinated monkeys that had also received IL-2 developed large populations of virus-specific circulating cytotoxic T cells. Their plasma viral loads fell to substantially lower levels than did those of controls, their T helper cell counts remained stable, and they remained healthy. In contrast, control monkeys mounted little cellular immunity against the virus, and their T helper cell counts fell rapidly; by day 140 after viral challenge, 7 of 8 had developed simian AIDS, and 4 were dead. Monkeys who received only the vaccine without IL-2 had an intermediate course.
Comment: Editorialists caution that the animal model used here may not be completely applicable to slower-moving human HIV infection. Nonetheless, these results affirm the feasibility of using a cytokine-enhanced DNA vaccine to change the natural history of HIV disease.
— A Zuger
Published in Journal Watch General Medicine November 7, 2000
Citation(s):
Barouch DH et al. Control of viremia and prevention of clinical AIDS in rhesus monkeys by cytokine-augmented DNA vaccination. Science 2000 Oct 20 290 486-492.
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Shen X and Siliciano RF. Preventing AIDS but not HIV-1 infection with a DNA vaccine. Science 2000 Oct 20 290 463-465.
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- Medline abstract (Free)