Enhanced HIV-1 specific immune response by CpG ODN and HIV-1 immunogen-pulsed dendritic cells confers protection in the Trimera murine model of HIV-1 infection

We have recently developed a novel small animal model for HIV-1 infection (Ayash-Rashkovsky et al., http://www.fasebi.org/cgi/doi/10.1096/fj.04-3184fje; doi:10.1096/fj.043184fie). The mice were successfully infected with HIV-1 for 4-6 wk with different clades of either T- or M-tropic isolates. HIV-1 infection was accompanied by rapid loss of human CD4+ T cells, decrease in CD4/CD8 ratio, and increased T cell activation. HIV specific human Immoral and cellular immune responses were observed in all HIV-1 infected animals. In the present study, HIV specific human immune responses, both Immoral and cellular, were generated in noninfected Trimera mice, after their immunization with gp120-depleted HIV-1 antigen, presented by autologous human dendritic cells. Addition of CpG ODN to the antigen-pulsed DCs significantly enhanced (by 2- to 30-fold) the Immoral and cellular HIV-1 specific immune responses. Only mice immunized with the HIV-1 immunogen and CpG were completely protected from infection with HIV-1 after challenge with high infection titers of the virus. This novel small animal model for HIV-1 infection may thus serve as an attractive platform for rapid testing of candidate HIV-1 vaccines and of adjuvants and may shorten the time needed for the development and final assessment of protective HIV-1 vaccines in human trials.