HIV/AIDS afflicts 33 million people and a preventive vaccine that will stop transmission of HIV is desperately needed. We will engineer the pioneer Streptococcus mitis oral bacterium to create a safe and effective recombinant vaccine vector against infant and adult AIDS. The S. mitis-based vaccine strategy will have the unique features of the pioneer bacterium that will make this strategy effective against mucosal transmission of HIV. The recombinant S. mitis vector will be safe and capable of colonizing the oral cavity and nasopharynx of infants and adults abundantly and persistently to elicit robust mucosal immunity. In this study, we will develop the first preclinical small animal model of S. mitis colonization to evaluate the potential usefulness of the S. mitis-based vaccine strategy for the prevention of AIDS. The recombinant S. mitis will be engineered to express HIV/SIV antigens with different localization signals and subsequent preclinical immunogenicity testing will be conducted to assess whether recombinant S. mitis will induce mucosal immunity in the oral cavity, gut and vagina, which are the primary portals of entry and replication for the AIDS virus. These studies are a critical step towards developing recombinant S. mitis as a potential candidate vaccine vector against pediatric and adult AIDS and other diseases.

Public Health Relevance

HIV/AIDS is a major global public health problem that needs an immediate solution. We propose to develop an innovative and novel recombinant Streptococcus mitis vaccine technology against HIV and other debilitating diseases.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Dental & Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)
Type
Small Research Grants (R03)
Project #
1R03DE022525-01A1
Application #
8329259
Study Section
NIDCR Special Grants Review Committee (DSR)
Program Officer
Rodriguez-Chavez, Isaac R
Project Start
2012-04-01
Project End
2014-03-31
Budget Start
2012-04-01
Budget End
2013-03-31
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2012
Total Cost
$149,250
Indirect Cost
$74,250
Name
Forsyth Institute
Department
Type
DUNS #
062190616
City
Cambridge
State
MA
Country
United States
Zip Code
02142