Durable HIV-1 antibody and T-cell responses elicited by an adjuvanted multi-protein recombinant vaccine in uninfected human volunteers

Background: Use of the recombinant proteins NefTat and gp120_W61D formulated with the AS02A adjuvant system was previously shown to protect against AIDS in a rhesus macaque SHIV animal model system. Methods: Eighty-four HIV uninfected human participants were vaccinated intramuscularly at 0, 1, and 3 months and evaluated for safety. Immune responses were analyzed for the presence of vaccine-induced antibody and T lymphocyte responses. Results: The vaccines were safe and well tolerated at all doses. Nef-, Tat-, and gp120-specific binding antibodies were induced in all individuals that received the respective antigen, lasting up to 9 months after the final immunization. Antibodies able to neutralize the T-cell laboratory-adapted strain of HIV-1_W61D were detected in the majority of vacinees, but did not neutralize primary isolates. Envelope-specific antibody-dependent cell cytoxicity was detected in most of the individuals receiving gp120. Robust and persistent HIV-specific lymphoproliferative responses were detected against all subunit proteins in the majority of immunized participants. As expected, HIV-specific CD8 T-cell responses were not detected. Conclusions: Despite the lack of primary isolate neutralizing antibody induction, the observed high frequency and magnitude of other immune responses warrant further work with this vaccine or vaccine components.