Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1998 Jan 6;95(1):276-81. Unique Identifier :
Previously we have discovered a public idiotope, designated 1F7, that is
expressed on antibodies against HIV type 1 (HIV-1) in human and nonhuman
primates. To test the potential of mouse monoclonal antibody (mAb) 1F7
as a therapeutic anti-clonotypic antibody in HIV-1-infected patients, we
used the simian HIV-IIIB macaque infection model, which mimics several
immunological and pathological characteristics of HIV-1 infection in
humans. Four healthy simian HIV-infected rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta)
expressing the 1F7 marker on anti-gp120 antibodies were selected for
this study. Three monkeys of this group were immunized several times
with the murine mAb 1F7 i.v., and one monkey received as control an
isotype-matched antibody, TEPC183. No serious side effect or allergic
reaction was encountered. Blood collected before and during the
immunization and over several months afterward were analyzed for
neutralizing antibodies. Significant increases in breadth and potency of
HIV-1-neutralizing antibody titers to one or more virus strains were
detected in all three of the 1F7-immunized monkeys, but not in the
control monkey immunized with TEPC183. These results show that an
antibody, recognizing a public idiotope associated with anti-HIV-1
antibodies can function in chronically infected primates as an
anti-clonotypic immunogen to boost antibodies that neutralize homologous
and heterologous virus strains. This study represents a first step
toward the preclinical evaluation of 1F7 as a therapeutic AIDS vaccine.
*AIDS Vaccines/IMMUNOLOGY *HIV Antibodies/BIOSYNTHESIS *HIV Envelope
Protein gp120/IMMUNOLOGY *HIV-1/IMMUNOLOGY *Vaccines,
Synthetic/IMMUNOLOGY