A Phase I Double Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Randomized Study of the Safety and Immunogenicity of an Adjuvanted HIV-1 Gag-Pol-Nef Fusion Protein and Adenovirus 35 Gag-RT-Int-Nef Vaccine in Healthy HIV-Uninfected African Adults.

Publication Type
Journal Article
Year of Publication
2015
Authors
Omosa-Manyonyi, Gloria; Mpendo, Juliet; Ruzagira, Eugene; Kilembe, William; Chomba, Elwyn; Roman, Francois; Bourguignon, Patricia; Koutsoukos, Marguerite; Collard, Alix; Voss, Gerald; Laufer, Dagna; Stevens, Gwynn; Hayes, Peter; Clark, Lorna; Cormier, Emmanuel; Dally, Len; Barin, Burc; Ackland, Jim; Syvertsen, Kristen; Zachariah, Devika; Anas, Kamaal; Sayeed, Eddy; Lombardo, Angela; Gilmour, Jill; Cox, Josephine; Fast, Patricia; Priddy, Frances
Secondary
PLoS One
Volume
10
Pagination
e0125954
Date Published
2015
Keywords
Adenoviridae; Adjuvants, Immunologic; Adolescent; Adult; African Continental Ancestry Group; AIDS Vaccines; Antibodies, Neutralizing; Antibodies, Viral; Female; Genetic Vectors; Healthy Volunteers; HIV Antibodies; HIV Infections; HIV-1; Human Immunodeficiency Virus Proteins; Humans; Immunity, Cellular; Immunity, Humoral; Interferon-gamma; Male; Recombinant Fusion Proteins; T-Lymphocyte Subsets; Vaccination; Young Adult
Abstract

BACKGROUND: Sequential prime-boost or co-administration of HIV vaccine candidates based on an adjuvanted clade B p24, RT, Nef, p17 fusion protein (F4/AS01) plus a non-replicating adenovirus 35 expressing clade A Gag, RT, Int and Nef (Ad35-GRIN) may lead to a unique immune profile, inducing both strong T-cell and antibody responses.

METHODS: In a phase 1, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 146 healthy adult volunteers were randomized to one of four regimens: heterologous prime-boost with two doses of F4/AS01E or F4/AS01B followed by Ad35-GRIN; Ad35-GRIN followed by two doses of F4/AS01B; or three co-administrations of Ad35-GRIN and F4/AS01B. T cell and antibody responses were measured.

RESULTS: The vaccines were generally well-tolerated, and did not cause serious adverse events. The response rate, by IFN-γ ELISPOT, was greater when Ad35-GRIN was the priming vaccine and in the co-administration groups. F4/AS01 induced CD4+ T-cells expressing primarily CD40L and IL2 +/- TNF-α, while Ad35-GRIN induced predominantly CD8+ T-cells expressing IFN-γ +/- IL2 or TNF-α. Viral inhibition was induced after Ad35-GRIN vaccination, regardless of the regimen. Strong F4-specific antibody responses were induced. Immune responses persisted at least a year after the last vaccination. The complementary response profiles, characteristic of each vaccine, were both expressed after co-administration.

CONCLUSION: Co-administration of an adjuvanted protein and an adenovirus vector showed an acceptable safety and reactogenicity profile and resulted in strong, multifunctional and complementary HIV-specific immune responses.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01264445.