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Virology Research Journal | Volume 2
Page 38
alliedacademies
IMMUNOLOGY AND CELL BIOLOGY
BACTERIOLOGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES
&
Global Summit on
Global Congress on
J u n e 2 5 - 2 6 , 2 0 1 8 | A m s t e r d a m , N e t h e r l a n d s
Joint Event on
TARGETING CONSERVED BROADLY
NEUTRALIZING EPITOPES WITHIN HIV-
1 ENVELOPE GP41 MPER AS VACCINE
IMMUNOGENS FOR SERONEGATIVE
PARTNERS OF HIV-1 DISCORDANT
COUPLES
Godwin W Nchinda
CIRCB, Nigeria
Background: The membrane proximal external region (MPER) of HIV-1
envelope glycoprotein-41 (gp41) is targeted by several broadly neutralizing
antibodies whose conserved linear epitopes are promising targets for vaccine
design. However, a formidable challenge has remained the difficulty to design
and deliver MPER based immunogens for the efficient induction of such
broadly neutralizing HIV-1 specific antibodies (bnAb). This is mainly because
the linear bnAb MPER epitopes are poorly accessible to the immune system.
The overall objective of this study therefore was the development and
validation of an RNA coliphage Qβ display system for efficient presentation
of conserved bnAb epitopes to the immune system
Method: To overcome the challenge of effective presentation of MPER to
the immune system we have selectively engineered the surface of the RNA
coliphage Qβ to to display a 51 aa consensus MPER peptide upon the surface
of the phage particle. The expression cassettes were used for the production
of QβMPER recombinant hybrid phages after transformation of E. coli HB101
strain.
Results: Specific recognition of all the linear MPER based bnAb epitopes were
confirmed in ELISAwith recombinant QβMPER phage as antigen and the bnAb
2F5, Z13, 4E10 and 10E8 as antibodies. Next the prevalence of MPER specific
antibodies was determined in plasma from antiretroviral naïve HIV infected
participants of the CIRCB AFRODEC cohort. The greater majority (84%) of
participants’ plasma showed MPER peptide specific reactivity with antibody
titers ranging ranging from 200 to 409600 comparative to background values
with Qβ empty as antigen.
Conclusion: Thus, this novel recombinant QβMPER phages can be used to
monitor MPER- specific immune responses in clinical samples. In addition
the recombinant QβMPER phage can be used as immunogens either alone
or in combination with other strategies for the induction of MPER specific
immunity against HIV-1.
Godwin W Nchinda is Senior Immunologist
CIRCB and Deputy Director General Head of
CIRCB Vaccinology Laboratory Head of CIRCB
Biobanking Laboratory For the last twenty four
years I have focused my attention to developing
model vaccines that could be easily translated
into clinics against infectious diseases and tu-
mors. I studied Microbiology in the University of
Calabar, Nigeria and then spent four years there-
after in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria
working on an NIH Grant where we developed a
feed based vaccine against Newcastle disease
virus infections in free range Chickens. During
my PhD thesis (1998-2001) I learned how to
design and evaluate model SIV/HIV vaccines
under the mentorship of K. Überla, Professor of
Molecular Virology in the University of Leipzig
Germany.
BIOGRAPHY
Godwin W Nchinda, Virol Res J 2018, Volume 2