A vaccine strategy that protects against genital herpes by establishing local memory T cells.
Most successful existing vaccines rely on neutralizing antibodies, which may not require specific anatomical localization of B cells. However, efficacious vaccines that rely on T cells for protection have been difficult to develop, as robust systemic memory T-cell responses do not necessarily correlate with host protection. In peripheral sites, tissue-resident memory T cells provide superior protection compared to circulating memory T cells. Here we describe a simple and non-inflammatory vaccine strategy that enables the establishment of a protective memory T-cell pool within peripheral tissue.
The female genital tract, which is a portal of entry for sexually transmitted infections, is an immunologically restrictive tissue that prevents entry of activated T cells in the absence of inflammation or infection. To overcome this obstacle, we developed a vaccine strategy that we term ‘prime and pull’ to establish local tissue-resident memory T cells at a site of potential viral exposure. This approach relies on two steps: conventional parenteral vaccination to elicit systemic T-cell responses (prime), followed by recruitment of activated T cells by means of topical chemokine application to the restrictive genital tract (pull), where such T cells establish a long-term niche and mediate protective immunity.
In mice, prime and pull protocol reduces the spread of infectious herpes simplex virus 2 into the sensory neurons and prevents development of clinical disease. These results reveal a promising vaccination strategy against herpes simplex virus 2, and potentially against other sexually transmitted infections such as human immunodeficiency virus.
A vaccine strategy that protects against genital herpes by establishing local memory T cells.
Reactivation of genitalherpessimplex virus type 2 infection in asymptomatic seropositive persons.
BACKGROUND Most persons who have serologic evidence of infection with herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 2 (HSV-2) are asymptomatic. Historically, it has been assumed that these persons have less frequent viral reactivation than those with symptomatic infection.METHODSWe conducted a prospective study to investigate genital shedding of HSV among 53 subjects who had antibodies to HSV-2 but who reported having no history of genital herpes, and we compared their patterns of viral shedding with those in a similar cohort of 90 subjects with symptomatic HSV-2 infection.
Genital secretions of the subjects in both groups were sampled daily and cultured for HSV for a median of 94 days.
RESULTS HSV was isolated from the genital mucosa in 38 of the 53 HSV-2-seropositive subjects (72 percent) who reported no history of genital herpes, and HSV DNA was detected by the polymerase-chain-reaction assay in cultures prepared from genital mucosal swabs in 6 additional subjects. The rate of subclinical shedding of HSV in the subjects with no reported history of genital herpes was similar to that in the subjects with such a history (3.0 percent vs. 2.7 percent).
Of the 53 subjects who had no reported history of genital herpes, 33 (62 percent) subsequently reported having typical herpetic lesions; the duration of their recurrences in these subjects was shorter (median, three days vs. five days; P<0.001) and the frequency lower (median, 3.0 per year vs. 8.2 per year; P<0.001) than in the 90 subjects with previously diagnosed symptomatic infection. Only 1 of these 53 subjects had no clinical or virologic evidence of HSV infection.
Description: A competitive inhibition quantitative ELISA assay kit for detection of Bovine Immunoglobulin G (IgG) in samples from serum, plasma or other biological fluids.
Description: A competitive inhibition quantitative ELISA assay kit for detection of Bovine Immunoglobulin G (IgG) in samples from serum, plasma or other biological fluids.
Description: Quantitative competitive ELISA kit for measuring Bovine Immunoglobulin G, IgG in samples from serum, plasma, cell culture supernates, tissue homogenates. A new trial version of the kit, which allows you to test the kit in your application at a reasonable price.
Description: Quantitative competitive ELISA kit for measuring Bovine Immunoglobulin G, IgG in samples from serum, plasma, cell culture supernates, tissue homogenates. Now available in a cost efficient pack of 5 plates of 96 wells each, conveniently packed along with the other reagents in 5 separate kits.
CONCLUSION SSeropositivity for HSV-2 is associated with viral shedding in the genital tract, even in subjects with no reported history of genital herpes.
