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Therapeutic immunization with Modified Vaccinia Virus Ankara (MVA) vaccines in SIV-infected rhesus monkeys undergoing antiretroviral therapy
Article first published online: 31 JUL 2006
DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0684.2006.00190.x
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How to Cite
Überla, K., Rosenwirth, B., Ten Haaft, P., Heeney, J., Sutter, G. and Erfle, V. (2007), Therapeutic immunization with Modified Vaccinia Virus Ankara (MVA) vaccines in SIV-infected rhesus monkeys undergoing antiretroviral therapy. Journal of Medical Primatology, 36: 2–9. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0684.2006.00190.x
Publication History
- Issue published online: 31 JUL 2006
- Article first published online: 31 JUL 2006
- Accepted July 6, 2006.
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Keywords:
- HIV;
- SIV;
- therapeutic immunization
Abstract
Background The long-term benefits of highly active antiretroviral therapy in HIV-infected patients are limited by emergence of drug-resistant variants and side effects. Therefore, we studied the concept of therapeutic immunization in 18 rhesus monkeys infected with a highly pathogenic simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) swarm.
Methods Monkeys were treated with the reverse transcriptase inhibitor (R)-9-(2-phosphonylmethoxypropyl)adenine (PMPA) for 19 weeks starting 10 days after infection. After suppression of viremia, one group of monkeys was immunized with recombinant modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) vectors expressing gag-pol and env. A second group received MVA vectors expressing the regulatory genes tat, rev and nef, while a third group was not immunized.
Results Immunization with gag-pol and env expressing MVA enhanced SIV antibody titers. Following discontinuation of PMPA treatment, a rebound in viral load was observed. However, in three of six monkeys immunized with MVA gag-pol and MVA env, and two of six monkeys immunized MVA expressing regulatory genes set point RNA levels were below or close to a threshold level of 104 RNA copies/ml, while only one of six unvaccinated monkeys maintained such low RNA levels.
Conclusions Although a subset of animals seem to benefit from therapeutic immunization with MVA vectors, the difference in set point RNA levels between the groups did not reach statistical significance.