A new adenovirus based vaccine vector expressing an Eimeria tenella derived TLR agonist improves cellular immune responses to an antigenic target.

BACKGROUND: Adenoviral based vectors remain promising vaccine platforms for use against numerous pathogens, including HIV. Recent vaccine trials utilizing Adenovirus based vaccines expressing HIV antigens confirmed induction of cellular immune responses, but these responses failed to prevent HIV infections in vaccinees. This illustrates the need to develop vaccine formulations capable of generating more potent T-cell responses to HIV antigens, such as HIV-Gag, since robust immune responses to this antigen correlate with improved outcomes in long-term non-progressor HIV infected individuals. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In this study we designed a novel vaccine strategy utilizing an Ad-based vector expressing a potent TLR agonist derived from Eimeria tenella as an adjuvant to improve immune responses from a [E1-]Ad-based HIV-Gag vaccine. Our results confirm that expression of rEA elicits significantly increased TLR mediated innate immune responses as measured by the influx of plasma cytokines and chemokines, and activation of innate immune responding cells. Furthermore, our data show that the quantity and quality of HIV-Gag specific CD8(+) and CD8(-) T-cell responses were significantly improved when coupled with rEA expression. These responses also correlated with a significantly increased number of HIV-Gag derived epitopes being recognized by host T cells. Finally, functional assays confirmed that rEA expression significantly improved antigen specific CTL responses, in vivo. Moreover, we show that these improved responses were dependent upon improved TLR pathway interactions. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: The data presented in this study illustrate the potential utility of Ad-based vectors expressing TLR agonists to improve clinical outcomes dependent upon induction of robust, antigen specific immune responses.

Protein from intestinal Eimeria protozoan stimulates IL-12 release from dendritic cells, exhibits antitumor properties in vivo and is correlated with low intestinal tumorigenicity.

The small intestine (SI) of vertebrates exhibits low tumorigenesis and rarely supports metastatic growth from distant tumors. Many theories have been proposed to address this phenomenon, but none has been consistently supported. One candidate mechanism is that the vast immunologic compartment of the SI provides a heightened level of tumor immunosurveillance. Consistent with this, we have identified a molecule of low abundance from bovine SI that has the hallmarks of a potent immunostimulant and may be associated with the natural suppression of cancer in the intestinal tract. The protein originates from an endemic gut protozoan, Eimeria spp., and is homologous to the antigen 3-1E previously isolated from the avian apicomplexan E. acervulina. We show here that it is a very potent stimulator of IL-12 release from dendritic cells, upregulates inflammatory modulators in vivo (IL-12, MCP-1, IL-6, TNF-alpha and INF-gamma) and has antitumor properties in mice. In addition, it is synergistic in vitro with anti-CD40 antibody, IFN-gamma, IL-4 and GM-CSF; is active across species barriers in vivo; and has no observable toxicity. Based on these activities, we speculate that it is an inducer of protozoan-targeted innate immunity, which may explain its potential benefit to the intestinal tract and potency as an agent in cancer immunotherapy.