Selected Grantee Publications
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- 139 results found
- niaid
- Vaccines/Therapeutics
Multimodal Single-Cell and Whole-Genome Sequencing of Small, Frozen Clinical Specimens
Wang et al., Nature Genetics. 2023.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-022-01268-9
Single-cell RNA sequencing has led to improved understanding of tumor heterogeneity to drug response, but the broad application of those methods remains challenging due to practical requirements that are incompatible with clinical care workflow, such as the need for large and fresh tissues. The researchers demonstrated that several single-cell genomics techniques are feasible from small, frozen tissues and provide biological data outputs similar to those collected from fresh tissue while reducing artifactual signals and compositional biases introduced by fresh-tissue processing. These results provide a new perspective for translating these methods to clinical studies. Supported by ORIP (S10OD020056), NIAID, and NCI.
Surrogate Biomarkers of Disease Progression in Human Pegivirus Seropositive Human Immunodeficiency Virus–Infected Individuals
Vimali et al., Viral Immunology. 2023.
Researchers have previously observed that human pegivirus (HPgV) infection is associated with reduced progression of HIV. Investigators examined markers of HIV progression in male and female individuals with HIV and HPgV infection. They reported that HIV plasma viral load was lower in HPgV-seropositive individuals with HIV than in HPgV‑seronegative individuals with HIV. They also found that clinical markers of hepatic damage were significantly lower in HPgV-seropositive individuals with HIV. Future work could examine pathways through which HPgV influences HIV control, which might inform the development of new therapeutics. Supported by ORIP (P51OD011132) and NIAID.
Duration of Antiretroviral Therapy Impacts the Degree of Residual SIV Infection in the Gut in Long‐Term Non‐Progressing Chinese Rhesus Macaques
Solis-Leal et al., Journal of Medical Virology. 2023.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jmv.28185
HIV and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) reservoirs have been shown to persist with antiretroviral therapy (ART), particularly in the gut‐associated lymphoid tissues in the intestine. The effects of ART on the reservoir size, however, had not been explored fully. In this study, researchers used male Chinese‐origin rhesus macaques to assess the effects of long- and short-term ART on gut infection—across segments of the small and large intestines—in long‐term non‐progressors (LTNPs). They reported that although ART does not eliminate SIV in LTNPs, a longer ART period dramatically reduces SIV infection and diversity in the gut. Further studies are needed to better understand the reduction of HIV gut reservoirs in this context. Supported by ORIP (P51OD011133, P51OD011104), NIAID, NIMH, and NINDS.
Recombinant Simian Varicella Virus–Simian Immunodeficiency Virus Vaccine Induces T and B Cell Functions and Provides Partial Protection Against Repeated Mucosal SIV Challenges in Rhesus Macaques
Pahar et al., Viruses. 2022.
https://www.doi.org/10.3390/v14122819
An effective vaccine is needed urgently to control the global HIV epidemic completely by 2030. Recombinant simian varicella virus (rSVV) vaccines expressing SIV antigens offer a potential new approach in the evaluation of HIV vaccine candidates. Building on their previous findings, the investigators induced systemic and mucosal immune responses with live, attenuated rSVV vaccinations followed by SIV group–specific antigen and SIV envelope protein boosts in female rhesus macaques treated with repeated intravaginal SIV challenges. Their findings demonstrate that the vaccination with protein boosts induces a 37.5% efficacy rate against pathogenic SIV challenge by generating mucosal memory, virus‑specific neutralizing antibodies, binding antibodies, and polyfunctional T cell responses. Supported by ORIP (P51OD011104) and NIAID.
Transient T Cell Expansion, Activation, and Proliferation in Therapeutically Vaccinated Simian Immunodeficiency Virus–Positive Macaques Treated with N-803
Harwood et al., Journal of Virology. 2022.
https://www.doi.org/10.1128/jvi.01424-22
Many HIV vaccine strategies induce neutralizing antibodies and CD8+ T cells, but more information on these protective immune responses is needed. Researchers hypothesized that CD8+ T cells elicited by vaccination during antiretroviral therapy (ART) would be recalled and boosted by treatment with N-803 after ART discontinuation. They tested this approach in male Mauritian cynomolgus macaques infected with simian immunodeficiency virus. The regimen enhanced the frequency of Gag-specific lymphocytes with phenotypes associated with activation, proliferation, and memory in the peripheral blood and lymph nodes of vaccinated animals. These results help demonstrate N-803’s potential as an immunomodulatory agent for treatment of HIV. Supported by ORIP (P51OD011106) and NIAID.
Control of Simian Immunodeficiency Virus Infection in Prophylactically Vaccinated, Antiretroviral Treatment–Naive Macaques Is Required for the Most Efficacious CD8 T Cell Response during Treatment with the Interleukin-15 Superagonist N-803
Ellis-Connell et al., Journal of Virology. 2022.
https://www.doi.org/10.1128/jvi.01185-22
Recent evidence suggests that immunotherapeutic agents, such as N-803, could improve the ability of CD8+ T cells to target and destroy cells infected with HIV. In this study, investigators defined the features that are associated with N-803-mediated suppression of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) replication in rhesus macaques of both sexes. They hypothesized that preexisting vaccine-elicited CD8+ T cells were required for suppressing replication. Their results indicate that N-803 is most effective in animals with preexisting immunological ability to control SIV replication. These findings support further exploration of N-803 as an immunotherapeutic agent for HIV. Supported by ORIP (P51OD011106) and NIAID.
Distinct Sensitivities to SARS-CoV-2 Variants in Vaccinated Humans and Mice
Walls et al., Cell Reports. 2022.
https://www.doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111299
Emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants necessitates real-time evaluation of their impact on serum neutralizing activity, as a proxy for vaccine efficacy, to inform public health policies and guide vaccine development. The investigators report that vaccinated female BALB/c mice do not recapitulate faithfully the breadth and potency of neutralizing antibody responses toward the SARS-CoV-2 Beta and Gamma variants of concern, compared with humans of both sexes and male nonhuman primates (i.e., rhesus and pigtail macaques). This finding was consistent across several vaccine modalities, doses, antigens, and assays, suggesting caution should be exercised when interpreting serum neutralizing data obtained from mice. Supported by ORIP (P51OD010425, U42OD011123) and NIAID.
Molecular Insights Into Antibody-Mediated Protection Against the Prototypic Simian Immunodeficiency Virus
Zhao et al., Nature Communications. 2022.
https://www.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-32783-2
Most simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) vaccines have focused on inducing T cell responses alone or in combination with non-neutralizing antibody responses. To date, studies investigating neutralizing antibody (nAb) responses to protect against SIV have been limited. In this study, researchers isolated 12 potent monoclonal nAbs from chronically infected rhesus macaques of both sexes and mapped their binding specificities on the envelope trimer structure. They further characterized the structures using cryogenic electron microscopy, mass spectrometry, and computational modeling. Their findings indicate that, in the case of humoral immunity, nAb activity is necessary and sufficient for protection against SIV challenge. This work provides structural insights for future vaccine design. Supported by ORIP (P51OD011106), NIAID, and NCI.
Early Treatment Regimens Achieve Sustained Virologic Remission in Infant Macaques Infected with SIV at Birth
Wang et al., Nature Communications. 2022.
https://www.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-32554-z
About 150,000 children are infected postnatally with HIV each year. Early antiretroviral therapy (ART) in infants with HIV can reduce viral reservoir size, but ART-free virologic remission has not been achieved. The researchers hypothesized that proviral reservoir seeding in infants exposed to HIV might differ from that in adults. They characterized viral reservoirs in neonatal rhesus macaques of both sexes inoculated with simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) at birth and given combination ART. The researchers reported that 9 months of treatment initiated at day 3 resulted in a sustained virologic remission, suggesting that early intervention with proper treatment regimens could be an effective strategy. Supported by ORIP (P51OD011104), NIAID, NICHD, and NIDCR.
Durable Protection Against the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant Is Induced by an Adjuvanted Subunit Vaccine
Arunachalam et al., Science Translational Medicine. 2022.
https://www.doi.org/10.1126/scitranslmed.abq4130
Additional SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are needed, owing to waning immunity to the original vaccines and the emergence of variants of concern. A recent study in male rhesus macaques demonstrated durable protection against the Omicron BA.1 variant induced by a subunit SARS-CoV-2 vaccine comprising the receptor binding domain of the ancestral strain (RBD-Wu) on the I53-50 nanoparticle adjuvanted with AS03, an oil-in-water emulsion containing α‑tocopherol. Two immunizations with the vaccine resulted in durable immunity, without cross-reactivity. Further boosting with a version of the vaccine containing the Beta variant or the ancestral RBD elicited cross-reactive immune responses that conferred protection against Omicron challenge. Supported by ORIP (P51OD011104), NCI, and NIAID.