Project description:The study was undertaken to define correlates of protection against repeated low dose rectal SIVmac251 challenges in rhesus macaques (RMs) vaccinated with two regimens. Two groups of six RMs were immunized with either the attenuated SIVdeltanef virus, which establishes a persistent low-level infection and induces protective immunity against high dose challenges with SIVmac, or with two doses of an AdHu5 vector expressing Gag of SIVmac239 (AdHu5gag), that was given at a two-month interval.
Project description:Immunization of macaques with simian immunodeficiency virus with deletions in nef (SIV?nef) has been shown to elicit protective immunity to infection by pathogenic SIV, yet our understanding of the mechanisms that orchestrate protection and prevent pathogenesis remains limited. In the study, we utilize whole-genome transcriptional profiling to reveal molecular signatures of protective immunity in circulating CD8+ T cells of rhesus macaques vaccinated with SIVmac239?nef and challenged with pathogenic SIVmac251. Microarrays were used to characterize changes in gene expression in blood CD8+ T cells that occur following vaccination of rhesus macaques with attenuated SIV?nef and subsequent challenge with pathogenic SIVmac251, in comparison to corresponding changes in healthy controls and unvaccinated animals infected with pathogenic SIVmac251 CD8+ T cells were isolated by magnetic beads from the blood of healthy uninfected macaques, macaques vaccinated with SIV?nef, and unvaccinated controls infected with SIVmac251, and used for RNA extraction and hybridization on Affymetrix microarrays. Blood samples from vaccinated animals were collected prior to vaccination, at 3, 20, and 40 weeks following vaccination. After the 40 week vaccination period, macaques were challenged with SIVmac251, and blood was again collected at 3 weeks following challenge. Blood was collected from the unvaccinated controls at 3 weeks following infection with SIVmac251
Project description:In this study, we show that passive transfer of purified antibodies from vaccinated macaques can protect naïve animals against SIVmac251 challenges. The protective signature included multiple antibody functions and correlated with upregulation of interferon pathways in the vaccinated animals. Adoptive transfer of purified IgG from the vaccinated animals with the most robust protective signatures provided partial protection against SIVmac251 challenges in naïve recipient rhesus macaques. These data demonstrate the protective efficacy of purified vaccine-elicited antiviral antibodies, even in the absence of virus neutralization.
Project description:Recent studies of nonhuman primates (NHPs) have suggested that during the acute phase of infection, antiviral mucosal immunity is restricting viral replication in the primary infection compartment. These studies imply that HIV achieves systemic infection as a consequence of a failure in host antiviral immunity. Here, we used high-dose intrarectal inoculation of rhesus macaques with SIVmac251 to examine how the mucosal immune system is overcome by SIV during acute infection. The host response in rectal mucosa was characterized by mRNA deep sequencing (mRNA-seq) at 3 and 12 days post inoculation (DPI) in 4 animals for each time point. The eight RMs were intrarectally challenged with SIVmac251 using 1 mL of a high-dose inoculum (6000 TCID50/mL). SIV inoculates were deposited at a rectal depth of 25 mm from the anus. Baseline rectal samples were obtained 14 days prior to viral challenge by pinch biopsy.
Project description:Recent studies of nonhuman primates (NHPs) have suggested that during the acute phase of infection, antiviral mucosal immunity is restricting viral replication in the primary infection compartment. These studies imply that HIV achieves systemic infection as a consequence of a failure in host antiviral immunity. Here, we used high-dose intrarectal inoculation of rhesus macaques with SIVmac251 to examine how the mucosal immune system is overcome by SIV during acute infection. The host response in rectal mucosa was characterized by mRNA deep sequencing (mRNA-seq) at 3 and 12 days post inoculation (DPI) in 4 animals for each time point.
Project description:Gene expression profiles in PPD-stimulated and unstimulated peripherhal blood mononuclear cells isolated from chinese cynomolgus macaques before and after BCG vaccination and before and after M. tuberculosis challenge were compared in animals able to control TB infection and those that developed TB disease in order to identify potential correlates of protection and/or biomarkers of disease. 6 macaques received BCG vaccination prior to challenge and were able to control TB infection (vaccinated controllers). 3 unvaccinated macaques were also able to control TB infection after challenge (unvaccinated controllers) and 3 other unvaccinated macaques developed TB disease and reached humane endpoint criteria (unvaccinated progressors). PBMCs isolated at 8 and 18 weeks post BCG-vaccination from the vaccinated controllers and at 6 weeks post M.tb challenge and at 2 time-points when the animals were naive in all animals were stimulated with PPD. RNA was extracted from the cells and hybridised to and Agilent rhesus macaque GE microarray in a one-colour hybridisation. Gene expression post-vaccination and/or post-challenge was compared with expression before vaccination/challenge when the animals were naive.
Project description:The SIVmac251 macaque model has been used to evaluate the efficacy of vaccine for HIV. Exposure of macaques to a single high dose of SIVmac251 results in transmission of multiple viral variants, which contrasts the few HIV variants typically transmitted in humans. In here, we investigated whether the dose of SIVmac251 challenge affected vaccination efficacy and found that exposure of the immunized macaques to single high dose of SIVmac251 resulted in no vaccine efficacy, whereas exposure to a tenfold lower dose resulted in protection from SIVmac251 acquisition and protection from disease in animals that become infected. The dose of challenge did not affect the expression of inflammatory genes in the gut in acute infection, but at set point, a significant down regulation of interferon responsive genes and up regulation of genes involved in B and T-cell responses, was observed only in vaccinated animals exposed to a lower dose of SIVmac251. Accordingly, in these animals, we also found a significant correlation with vaccine induced T-cell responses and protection from disease. These data demonstrate that the evaluation of the efficacy of vaccine candidates for HIV relies on accurate modeling in macaques to better mimic HIV transmission to humans. A total of 31 RNA samples were hybridized on to Rhesus Affymetrix 3' Expression arrays. The study was composed of 8 vaccinated and 10 control animals subjected to a low dose challenge and 6 vaccinated and 7 control animals subjected to a high dose challenge
Project description:The SIVmac251 macaque model has been used to evaluate the efficacy of vaccine for HIV. Exposure of macaques to a single high dose of SIVmac251 results in transmission of multiple viral variants, which contrasts the few HIV variants typically transmitted in humans. In here, we investigated whether the dose of SIVmac251 challenge affected vaccination efficacy and found that exposure of the immunized macaques to single high dose of SIVmac251 resulted in no vaccine efficacy, whereas exposure to a tenfold lower dose resulted in protection from SIVmac251 acquisition and protection from disease in animals that become infected. The dose of challenge did not affect the expression of inflammatory genes in the gut in acute infection, but at set point, a significant down regulation of interferon responsive genes and up regulation of genes involved in B and T-cell responses, was observed only in vaccinated animals exposed to a lower dose of SIVmac251. Accordingly, in these animals, we also found a significant correlation with vaccine induced T-cell responses and protection from disease. These data demonstrate that the evaluation of the efficacy of vaccine candidates for HIV relies on accurate modeling in macaques to better mimic HIV transmission to humans. A total of 34 RNA samples were hybridized on to Rhesus Affymetrix 3' Expression arrays. The study was composed of 9 vaccinated and 9 control animals subjected to a low dose challenge and 7 vaccinated and 9 control animals subjected to a high dose challenge
Project description:Cannabinoid administration before and after simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)-inoculation ameliorated disease progression and decreased inflammation in male rhesus macaques. Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) did not increase viral load in brain tissue or produce additive neuropsychological impairment in SIV-infected macaques. To determine if the neuroimmunomodulation of Δ9-THC involved differential microRNA (miR) expression, miR expression in the striatum of uninfected macaques receiving vehicle (VEH) or Δ9-THC (THC) and SIV-infected macaques administered either vehicle (VEH/SIV) or Δ9-THC (THC/SIV) was profiled using next generation deep sequencing.