BOOSTING HBV RESPONSES IN BABOONS

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. This study in baboons is designed to test the effect of priming immunization on subsequent boost responses. Of the six animals selected for this study, three have previously been immunized with the commercial vaccine, and three have been immunized with the test article. Both the commercial vaccine and the test article are hepatitis B vaccines containing the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). We would like to see if there is a difference in response when boosted once with a low dose of hepatitis B surface antigen. The vaccine formulation will be administered by intramuscular injection in the quadriceps. Bleeds will be collected at both week 2 and week 6 post immunization to determine the anti-HBsAg antibody titers in the sera at these time points. Because these animals have already been primed with HBsAg, we expect that immunization with a low dose will induce a strong immune response. The project will benefit medicine as it will provide an indication of how potent the memory immune response set up by the test vaccine is compared to the standard commercial vaccine.