Baboons (Papio cynocephalus) provide a valuable animal model for the study of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) pathogenesis because HIV-2 infection of baboons causes a chronic viral disease that progresses over several years before clinical signs of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) appear. Since HIV-2-infected baboons develop a chronic viral infection, insights into the immuno-biology of viral latency, clinical stages of disease, virus infection of lymphatic tissue and HIV transmission can be gained using this animal model. The development of an AIDS-like disease in baboons is viral isolate and baboon subspecies dependent. Thus, viral virulence factors and host resistance can be studied as well as the mechanisms of innate and acquired immunity. The control of virus infection is dependent upon cytotoxic and non-cytotoxic antiviral activity of CD8+ T cells. In this regard, some of the HIV-2-infected baboons develop potent antiviral cellular immune responses that have a similar magnitude to that found in HIV-1-infected long-term survivors (or non-progressors). In our laboratory, baboons have been used to study DNA vaccine strategies using new cationic liposome formulations and granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor and B7-2 as genetic adjuvants. The results demonstrate the value of using baboons as an animal model of AIDS pathogenesis and vaccine development.

Similar to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection of humans, the natural history of HIV-2 infection in baboons (Papio cynocephalus) is a slow and chronic disease that generally takes several years before an AIDS-like condition develops. To shorten the amount of time to the development of disease, we performed five serial passages of HIV-2 UC2 in baboons by using blood and bone marrow samples during the acute phase of infection when viral loads were at high levels. After these serial passages, virus levels in plasma, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and lymphatic tissues in the acutely infected baboons were increased. Within 1 year of the HIV-2 infection, all of the inoculated baboons showed specific signs of AIDS-related disease progression within the lymphatic tissues, such as vascular proliferation and lymphoid depletion. The HIV-2 UC2 recovered after four serial passages showed increased kinetics of viral replication in baboon PBMC and cytopathicity. This study suggests that the HIV-2 isolate recovered after several serial passages in baboons will be useful in future studies of AIDS pathogenesis and vaccine development by using this animal model.

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Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) isolates can be distinguished by their chemokine coreceptor usage. Non-syncytium-inducing (NSI), macrophage-tropic viruses utilize CCR5 and are called R5 viruses; syncytium-inducing (SI) isolates use CXCR4 and are known as X4 viruses. R5 and X4 HIV isolates are both transmitted but, in most cases, R5 viruses predominate in the blood prior to the development of AIDS-related pathogenesis. The reason for the selective growth of the R5 strain is not known, but could reflect a replication advantage of R5 viruses over X4 viruses in CD4 + cells.

In an effort to develop a more effective genetic immunization strategy for HIV, we developed an HIV-2 env DNA vaccine and evaluated three adjuvant formulations. The gp140 gene from HIV-2(UC2 )was synthesized using mammalian codons and cloned into a plasmid vector that expresses eukaryotic genes at high levels. We found that after three immunizations in mice, a novel cationic liposome formulation (Vaxfectin) was superior at inducing systemic and mucosal antibody responses compared to a naked DNA, a controlled release device (an Alzet minipump) and polysaccharide microparticles made from chitosan (P = 0.027). Vaxfectin also induced higher levels of systemic antibodies for each isotype and IgG subclass as well as levels of HIV-2-specific mucosal IgA (P = 0.034). When different routes of immunization were used with the Vaxfectin formulation, gp140-specific systemic antibody responses were highest by the intradermal route, mucosal antibody responses were highest by the intramuscular route, while the intranasal route was the least effective. These results suggest that this cationic liposome formulation is an important adjuvant to improve the effectiveness of genetic immunization strategies for AIDS, and that multiple routes of immunization should be employed for optimal efficacy for HIV vaccine candidates.