Enhanced HIV immune responses elicited by an apoptotic single-cycle SHIV lentivector DNA vaccine.

ABSTRACT:

Background

HIV remains a major public health issue in spite of antiretroviral therapy (ART). An innovative vaccine that can induce long-lasting and effective immunity is required to curb the persistently high numbers of new infections worldwide.

Methods

A novel DNA vaccine was generated using a Simian-Human Immunodeficiency Virus (SHIV) backbone with a Zambian T/F clade C envelope and under the control of the caprine arthritis encephalitis virus long terminal repeats (LTRs) for constitutive expression. Due to the deleted integrase, this DNA vaccine "CSH-DIN-T/F Z331" performs only a single replication cycle. To increase immunogenicity, the co-expression of apoptotic genes (BAX, BAK, or caspase 8) incorporated at the end of Pol was tested to promote the release of apoptotic b

SUBMITTER: Bose D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12023480 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature