Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) infects the cornea and then establishes latency in sensory neurons of the trigeminal ganglia (TG). Sporadic spontaneous reactivation of HSV-1 causes shedding of virus in tears leading to spread of virus to other individuals, and can also cause recurrent Herpes Stromal Keratitis (HSK), a blinding ocular disease. A major gap in our current knowledge is: """"""""How can we prevent or significantly reduce virus shedding in tears and HSV-induced ocular disease due to spontaneous reactivation of latent virus in the TG?"""""""" HSV-specific CD8+ T-cells appear to decrease in vitro induced HSV-1 reactivation in explanted mouse TG. Unfortunately, spontaneous reactivation of HSV-1 in mice is extremely rare so the relevance of these findings to in vivo HSV-1 spontaneous reactivation cannot be determined in mice. We now have a """"""""humanized"""""""" HLA transgenic rabbit model of ocular HSV-1 that mounts """"""""human-like"""""""" CD8 T-cell immune responses (HLA Tg rabbits). In a Preliminary Study we found that therapeutic immunization of latently infected HLA Tg rabbits with 3 human CD8 T-cell epitopes from HSV-1 gD decreased spontaneous reactivation 4-fold. This novel animal model will now allow us for the first time to test the hypothesis that a therapeutic vaccine that induces appropriate human T-cell responses to HSV-1 can decrease the effects of spontaneous reactivation (virus shedding in eyes and HSV-induced ocular disease).
Our specific Aims i nclude: (1). Test the hypothesis that therapeutic immunization with HSV-1 human CD8+ T-cell epitopes can decrease spontaneous reactivation in latently infected HLA Transgenic rabbits. CD4-CD8 lipopeptide vaccines, bearing different combinations of human CD4+ and CD8+ T cell epitopes from glycoprotein B and D (gB &gD), will be used to immunize latently infected HLA Tg rabbits. Protection against virus shedding in eyes (due to spontaneous reactivation) and HSV-induced ocular disease will be determined. (2). Test the hypothesis that the protective immunity induced by the therapeutic vaccination of HLA Transgenic rabbits in Aim 1 correlates with the presence of effector and memory CD8+ T-cells in the TG, conjunctiva, and/or draining lymph nodes. We will assess whether the number/function of HSV- and epitope- specific CD8+ T cells induced in vivo correlates with protection from spontaneous virus shedding in tears and ocular disease. We will assess the CD8+ T cell mechanism that correlates with protection. (3). Test the hypothesis that decreasing CD8+ T cells in latently infected HLA Tg rabbits will abrogate vaccine efficacy and also increase spontaneous reactivation in unvaccinated rabbits. These studies will provide important new information regarding the role of CD8+ T cells specific to human epitopes in immune control of HSV-1 spontaneous reactivation. This may lead to the development of new paradigms for immunotherapeutic strategies against ocular herpes.

Public Health Relevance

This project is aimed at developing a lipopeptide therapeutic vaccine against ocular herpes (a leading cause of blindness in developed countries) using a novel human leukocyte antigen (HLA) transgenic rabbit model.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Eye Institute (NEI)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01EY019896-04
Application #
8523888
Study Section
Vaccines Against Microbial Diseases (VMD)
Program Officer
Mckie, George Ann
Project Start
2010-09-01
Project End
2015-08-31
Budget Start
2013-09-01
Budget End
2014-08-31
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
2013
Total Cost
$348,840
Indirect Cost
$120,840
Name
University of California Irvine
Department
Ophthalmology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
046705849
City
Irvine
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
92697
Srivastava, Ruchi; Coulon, Pierre-Grégoire; Roy, Soumyabrata et al. (2018) Phenotypic and Functional Signatures of Herpes Simplex Virus-Specific Effector Memory CD73+CD45RAhighCCR7lowCD8+ TEMRA and CD73+CD45RAlowCCR7lowCD8+ TEM Cells Are Associated with Asymptomatic Ocular Herpes. J Immunol 201:2315-2330
Esteves, Pedro J; Abrantes, Joana; Baldauf, Hanna-Mari et al. (2018) The wide utility of rabbits as models of human diseases. Exp Mol Med 50:66
Lopes, Patricia P; Todorov, George; Pham, Thanh T et al. (2018) Laser Adjuvant-Assisted Peptide Vaccine Promotes Skin Mobilization of Dendritic Cells and Enhances Protective CD8+ TEM and TRM Cell Responses against Herpesvirus Infection and Disease. J Virol 92:
Khan, Arif A; Srivastava, Ruchi; Vahed, Hawa et al. (2018) Human Asymptomatic Epitope Peptide/CXCL10-Based Prime/Pull Vaccine Induces Herpes Simplex Virus-Specific Gamma Interferon-Positive CD107+ CD8+ T Cells That Infiltrate the Corneas and Trigeminal Ganglia of Humanized HLA Transgenic Rabbits and Protect again J Virol 92:
Srivastava, Ruchi; Hernández-Ruiz, Marcela; Khan, Arif A et al. (2018) CXCL17 Chemokine-Dependent Mobilization of CXCR8+CD8+ Effector Memory and Tissue-Resident Memory T Cells in the Vaginal Mucosa Is Associated with Protection against Genital Herpes. J Immunol 200:2915-2926
Nesburn, Anthony B; BenMohamed, Lbachir (2017) A Tribute to Professor Steven L. Wechsler (1948-2016): The Man and the Scientist. Curr Eye Res 42:161-162
Khan, Arif A; Srivastava, Ruchi; Chentoufi, Aziz A et al. (2017) Bolstering the Number and Function of HSV-1-Specific CD8+ Effector Memory T Cells and Tissue-Resident Memory T Cells in Latently Infected Trigeminal Ganglia Reduces Recurrent Ocular Herpes Infection and Disease. J Immunol 199:186-203
Srivastava, Ruchi; Khan, Arif A; Garg, Sumit et al. (2017) Human Asymptomatic Epitopes Identified from the Herpes Simplex Virus Tegument Protein VP13/14 (UL47) Preferentially Recall Polyfunctional Effector Memory CD44high CD62Llow CD8+ TEM Cells and Protect Humanized HLA-A*02:01 Transgenic Mice against Ocular Her J Virol 91:
Srivastava, Ruchi; Khan, Arif A; Chilukuri, Sravya et al. (2017) CXCL10/CXCR3-Dependent Mobilization of Herpes Simplex Virus-Specific CD8+ TEM and CD8+ TRM Cells within Infected Tissues Allows Efficient Protection against Recurrent Herpesvirus Infection and Disease. J Virol 91:
Perng, Guey-Chuen; Osorio, Nelson; Jiang, Xianzhi et al. (2016) Large Amounts of Reactivated Virus in Tears Precedes Recurrent Herpes Stromal Keratitis in Stressed Rabbits Latently Infected with Herpes Simplex Virus. Curr Eye Res 41:284-91

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