The extreme genetic variability of HIV presents a strong, albeit theoretical, challenge to the development of effective prophylactic vaccines. Most current research emphasizes development of appropriate formulations to reproducibly protect against infection or disease induced by homologous virus strains. Next, the question of whether this protection will extend to challenge strains from different viral sequence subtypes (or clades), in the same individual , must be critically assessed to assess the practical utility of these immunogens. The Molecular Biology Core will assist development and assessment of the breadth of protection afforded by experimental HIV vaccines. We propose to develop and characterize vaccine-based immunogens and simian-human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV) chimeras as challenge viruses suitable for assessment of the efficacy of env-based vaccines. We will generate challenge strains that encompass the breadth of antigenic diversity expected to be encountered in individual patients, epidemiologically linked infections, and epidemiologically unrelated strains from the same and distinct envelope sequence subtypes. In addition, we will evaluate viral sequences within animals infected in the course of vaccine experiments to determine the genetic features of breakthrough viruses, and the selective pressures imposed on these viruses that might differ from unvaccinated animals.

Project Start
1998-05-15
Project End
1998-12-31
Budget Start
1997-10-01
Budget End
1998-09-30
Support Year
10
Fiscal Year
1998
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Washington
Department
Type
DUNS #
135646524
City
Seattle
State
WA
Country
United States
Zip Code
98195
Hemelaar, Joris; Gouws, Eleanor; Ghys, Peter D et al. (2011) Global trends in molecular epidemiology of HIV-1 during 2000-2007. AIDS 25:679-89
Robinson, H L; Montefiori, D C; Johnson, R P et al. (2000) DNA priming and recombinant pox virus boosters for an AIDS vaccine. Dev Biol (Basel) 104:93-100