ALFQ adjuvanted HIV-1 envelope protein vaccination elicits durable functional antibody and cellular responses in nonhuman primates
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Adjuvants play an important role in modulating antigen-specific immune responses. We conducted a comparative adjuvant immunogenicity study in Rhesus macaques using HIV-1 subtype B gp120 envelope protein, B.63521, formulated with aluminum hydroxide gel (AH), or a family of liposomal adjuvants known as Army Liposome Formulation (ALF). ALF comprises saturated phospholipids, cholesterol, and monophosphoryl lipid A. Inclusion of QS-21 or adsorption of the antigen to AH, followed by the addition of ALF, generates ALFQ and ALFA, while inclusion of both immunostimulants generates ALFQA. Priming with canarypox vector ALVAC, followed by boosting with ALVAC and gp120 formulated with each of the four adjuvants, resulted in ALFQ and ALFQA outperforming AH and ALFA vaccine formulations with a high frequency of antigen-specific plasma cells in the bone marrow, robust antibodies, and Env-specific polyfunctional CD8 + T cell responses. Transcriptomic analyses revealed upregulation of antiviral and innate immune pathways, thus highlighting ALFQ as a highly potent adjuvant.
Source: npj Vaccines
Authors: Shikha Shrivastava, Joshua M. Carmen, Jiae Kim, Kristina K. Peachman, Shraddha Basu, Ryan Alving, Danielle Nettere, Gautam Kundu, Lauren Yum, Mohammad Arif Rahman, Shalini Jha, Hung V. Trinh, Lorean Rosado, Phuong Nguyen, Elaine Morrison, Isabella Swafford, Kawthar Machmach, Jessica S. Bolton, Adam Yates, Elina Misicka, Zoltan Beck, Simona Mutascio, Ousman Jobe, Michelle Zemil McCrea, Lindsay Wieczorek, Elke S. Bergmann-Leitner, Victoria Polonis, Dominic Paquin-Proulx, Justin Pollara, Gary R. Matyas, Carl R. Alving, Rasmi Thomas, Genoveffa Franchini, Guido Ferrari, Barton F. Haynes, Julie A. Ake, Mangala Rao
Language: English
Topic: HIV Research and Treatment
Subfield: Virology
Field: Immunology and Microbiology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,890
Awards: ADDRESSING THE THREATS OF HIV AND EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASE TO THE MILITARY AND GLOBAL COMMUNITY THROUGH INNOVATIVE RESEARCH, G2986651025, G4119534169, G54012121, G5850682332, G633733221, G682378342, G7617460357, G8093122957, G8166743225, G8883367568, G9000068884, G9000127136, G9000129325, G926065654
OpenAlex ID: W4417493615