Safety and immunogenicity of recombinant poxvirus HIV-1 vaccines in young adults on highly active antiretroviral therapy

A trial to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of recombinant modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA) and fowlfox (FP) vectors expressing Multiple HIV-1 proteins was conducted in twenty HIV-1 infected youth with suppressed viral replication on HAART. The MVA and FP-based multigene HIV-1 vaccines were safe and well tolerated. Increased frequencies of HIV-1 specific CD4+ proliferative responses and cytokine secreting cells were detected following immunization. Increased frequencies and breadth of HIV-1 specific CE8 T-cell responses were also detected. Plasma HIV-1-specific antibody levels and neutralizing activity were unchanged following vaccination. Poxvirus-based vaccines may merit further study in therapeutic vaccine protocols. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.