Evaluating vaccine‐induced immune responses in a murine model of LCMV infection

Abstract

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that infects vital cells of the human immune system. Currently, HIV infection is treated with antiretroviral therapy (ART), which is expensive and has severe side effects. Therapeutic vaccination using plasmid DNA has been proposed as an alternative to ART. DNA vaccines have been shown to induce immune responses against encoded proteins that may help treat or cure disease. To study novel DNA vaccine approaches against viral infection we are developing a murine model of infection that mimics HIV infection in humans. Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) can establish a chronic infection in mice and is well characterized in the rodent model. We designed a DNA vaccine against LCMV expressing the viral glycoprotein and vaccine potency will be enhanced using in vivo electroporation. To measure vaccine‐specific antibody production in immunized mice, we developed an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using plate‐bound whole LCMV virus. ELISA results are reported from a pilot study examining vaccine dose at two weeks post‐immunization. These responses will be monitored weekly until the study endpoint, at which time vaccine‐specific cellular immune responses will be assessed using murine splenocytes. This work was funded by the HHMI Program, the MARC U*STAR T34 08663, and UPenn SUIP.