Phase I Protocol for the Evaluation of the Safety and Immunogenicity of Vaccination With Synthetic HIV Envelope Peptides in Patients With Early Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection

Summary

Synthetic HIV Peptide Vaccines (Treatment Protocol) We are conducting a study to evaluate the safety of two peptide vaccines (given alone or in combination) in patients with early HIV infection. Patients entered onto the study must have \>500 CD4 cells/mm(3) and have preserved cardiac, hepatic, renal, and bone marrow function. Patients must be off all anti-retroviral therapy for at least 6 months and may not have received any experimental HIV vaccines. The vaccines being testing in this trial are comprised of short peptide segments of the HIV envelope, including the V3 loop. In animal studies, the peptides were able to induce neutralizing antibodies as well as cytotoxic T responses to HIV. This will be the first trial in which they are given to humans. The study will last for approximately one year, during which time the volunteers will receive 6 peptide vaccines under the skin. For more information, please call Tino Merced-Galindez, R.N. at (301) 496-8959 or Dr. Richard Little at (800) 772-5464.

Timeline

Start

1994-06

Primary completion

—

Completion

2002-01

Publications

• Background Clerici M, Lucey DR, Zajac RA, Boswell RN, Gebel HM, Takahashi H, Berzofsky JA, Shearer GM. Detection of cytotoxic T lymphocytes specific for synthetic peptides of gp160 in HIV-seropositive individuals. J Immunol. 1991 Apr 1;146(7):2214-9.
• Background Ahlers JD, Pendleton CD, Dunlop N, Minassian A, Nara PL, Berzofsky JA. Construction of an HIV-1 peptide vaccine containing a multideterminant helper peptide linked to a V3 loop peptide 18 inducing strong neutralizing antibody responses in mice of multiple MHC haplotypes after two immunizations. J Immunol. 1993 Jun 15;150(12):5647-65.
• Background Berzofsky JA, Pendleton CD, Clerici M, Ahlers J, Lucey DR, Putney SD, Shearer GM. Construction of peptides encompassing multideterminant clusters of human immunodeficiency virus envelope to induce in vitro T cell responses in mice and humans of multiple MHC types. J Clin Invest. 1991 Sep;88(3):876-84. doi: 10.1172/JCI115389.

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