Therapeutic Vaccination against the Rhesus Lymphocryptovirus EBNA-1 Homologue, rhEBNA-1, Elicits T Cell Responses to Novel Epitopes in Rhesus Macaques

• Authors: Eduardo L. V. Silveira, Yerkes National Primate Research Center; Mark H. Fogg, Harvard Medical School; Rachel M. Leskowitz, Wistar Institute; Hildegund C. Ertl, Wistar Institute; Roger W. Wiseman, University of Wisconsin; David H. O'Connor, University of Wisconsin; Paul Lieberman, Harvard Medical School; Fred Wang, Harvard Medical School; Francois Villinger, Emory University
• Journal Title: Journal of Virology
• Volume: Volume 87, Number 24
• Publisher: American Society for Microbiology | 2013-12, Pages 13904-13910
• Type of Work: Article | Final Publisher PDF
• Publisher DOI: http://doi.org/10.1128/JVI.01947-13
• Subjects: Biology, Virology; Biology, Microbiology; Health Sciences, Immunology

Abstract

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a vaccine/immunotherapy target due to its association with several human malignancies. EBNA-1 is an EBV protein consistently expressed in all EBV-associated cancers. Herein, EBNA-1-specific T cell epitopes were evaluated after AdC–rhEBNA-1 immunizations in chronically lymphocryptovirus-infected rhesus macaques, an EBV infection model. Preexisting rhEBNA-1-specific responses were augmented in 4/12 animals, and new epitopes were recognized in 5/12 animals after vaccinations. This study demonstrated that EBNA-1-specific T cells can be expanded by vaccination.