Study of HIV-1 Rgp-160 Administered by Mucosal Routes in Healthy Volunteers

• Systemic and mucosal safety evaluated by 3 independent physicians at week 0, 4, 6 and 48 and 2 days after each mucosal administration
  

• Immune response by ELISA for anti-gp 160 IgA or IgG and by functional in vitro assay
  

It’s probable that a mucosal approach is necessary for prophylactic HIV vaccine protecting against sexually transmitted infection. Although mucosal immune responses have been almost non-existent in trials of HIV vaccine candidates in which the antigen was delivered systematically.

Several animal models have also demonstrated the importance or a mucosal IgA response for protection against viral infections. Mucosal S IgA are essential effectors having different mechanisms of action agglutination of pathogens, interaction with cellular receptor, transcytosis of immune complexes, intracellular clearance of virus.

Gp 160 induces the majority of neutralizing Abs activity in patients serum and the immunogenicity of gp 160 can be improved by using and adjuvant such as DC-chol because of its properties to increase the permeation of the nasal epithelium and to facilitate systemic delivery of the vaccine antigen.

Before beginning mucosal vaccine trial, we previously tested and validated procedures to collect and process secretion fluids on 6 HIV-1 infected women (K. Petitprez et al, 4th European mucosal immunology group meeting, Lyon France, 8-10 october 2004).