This Multi-Project SPIRAT Program aims to develop a peptide based immunotherapeutic vaccine for HIV-1 infection. The central strategy is to control and/or eradicate chronic retroviral infection through the induction of virus specific, MHC class 1 -restricted cytolytic T lymphocytes (CTL) targeted at highly con served regions of HIV-1 proteins. The primary goal of the Program is to test the validity of this experimental hypothesis directly in man. To accomplish this goal, the Program unites leading experts in the development of peptide based immunotherapeutic for viral infection at Cytel Corporation with established AIDS investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital who have a long-term scientific interest in evaluating the role of CTL in AIDS at the laboratory and clinical level. The SPIRAT mechanism provides an unique opportunity to establish this Multi-Project Program capable of developing a novel AIDS therapeutic vaccine in a step-wise, scientifically rational fashion leading to the timely introduction of a vaccine candidate into clinical testing.
| Newman, Mark J; Livingston, Brian; McKinney, Denise M et al. (2002) T-lymphocyte epitope identification and their use in vaccine development for HIV-1. Front Biosci 7:d1503-15 |
| Altfeld, M A; Livingston, B; Reshamwala, N et al. (2001) Identification of novel HLA-A2-restricted human immunodeficiency virus type 1-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocyte epitopes predicted by the HLA-A2 supertype peptide-binding motif. J Virol 75:1301-11 |
| Ishioka, G Y; Fikes, J; Hermanson, G et al. (1999) Utilization of MHC class I transgenic mice for development of minigene DNA vaccines encoding multiple HLA-restricted CTL epitopes. J Immunol 162:3915-25 |
| Brander, C; Goulder, P J; Luzuriaga, K et al. (1999) Persistent HIV-1-specific CTL clonal expansion despite high viral burden post in utero HIV-1 infection. J Immunol 162:4796-800 |
