Abstract

The eradication of lentivirus infections remains an extremely difficult challenge. Caprine arthritis encephalitis virus (CAEV) offers an attractive, although difficult system for understanding the pathogenesis and treatment of lentivirus induced diseases of animals and perhaps those of humans. Dr. Beyer proposes a vaccine development strategy that is based on enhancing cell mediated immune responses to CAEV infection by stimulating type 1 responses, that is those mediated by type 1 (Th1) T lymphocytes. This based on findings that diseased goats have high virus titers yet mount a vigorous humoral immune response to CAEV antigens including the production of neutralizing antibodies directed against env gene products. In contrast, Dr. Beyer, and his mentor, Dr. Cheevers, have observed that asymptomatic CAEV infected goats display high CD4+ lymphoid proliferative responses and low virus titers. Vaccination will be accomplished by injecting an interferon gamma (IFN- gamma) expression vector DNA into goats to prime antigen-specific type 1 T cells and then injecting DNA of a CAEV env gene expression vector into the same animals. The goats will then be challenged with CAEV and analyzed for virus replication and development of symptoms.

  Funding Agency

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Type
Clinical Investigator Award (CIA) (K08)
Project #
5K08AI001384-02
Application #
2413369
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZAI1-PRJ-A (32))
Project Start
1996-05-01
Project End
1999-04-30
Budget Start
1997-05-01
Budget End
1998-04-30
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
1997
Total Cost
Indirect Cost

  Institution

Name
Washington State University
Department
Veterinary Sciences
Type
Schools of Veterinary Medicine
DUNS #
041485301
City
Pullman
State
WA
Country
United States
Zip Code
99164