A THERAPEUTIC VACCINE FOR EBV-ASSOCIATED MALIGNANCIES

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. Primary support for the subproject and the subproject's principal investigator may have been provided by other sources, including other NIH sources. The Total Cost listed for the subproject likely represents the estimated amount of Center infrastructure utilized by the subproject, not direct funding provided by the NCRR grant to the subproject or subproject staff. This pilot program is designed to explore whether therapeutic vaccination of monkeys chronically infected with Epstein-Barr related virus (EBV, a virus that infects 95% of adult macaques and humans and can lead to cancer in immunoimpaired individuals) can result in better control of this virus. The vaccine will use a novel vector based on a replication defective version of an adenovirus derived from chimpanzees and for which humans do not have pre-existing immunity. Findings from this pilot application will lead to the formulation of a human vaccine to prevent or limit the occurrence of cancer in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or recipients of organ transplant. The proposal calls for the identification of 12 rhesus macaques with prior exposure to rhesus EBV based on ELISPOT responses and potential presence of virus in the saliva. These animals will then undergo a single immunization with a Chimp adeno68 expressing rhesus EBNA1 or a fusion of EBNA1 and HSVgD. Immune responses and potential evidence of virus shedding will be delineated.