Inoculation of plasmid vectors encoding a viral protein into muscle tissue was shown to result in expression of the transantigen and, consequently, an antiviral immune response. Here, we show that coinoculation of a plasmid expressing the glycoprotein of rabies virus with plasmids encoding mouse cytokines modulated the immune response to the viral protein. Coinoculation with a vector expressing mouse granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) enhanced the B and T helper cell activity to rabies virus, while coinoculation with a plasmid expressing interferon-gamma (IFN gamma) resulted in a decrease of the immune response to the viral antigen.

An E1-deletion-containing adenoviral recombinant based on the chimpanzee serotype 68 (AdC68) was developed to express the rabies virus glycoprotein. Mice immunized with this construct (AdC68rab.gp) developed antibodies to rabies virus and remained resistant to challenge with an otherwise lethal dose of rabies virus. In naïve mice immunized intranasally, the rabies virus-specific antibody responses elicited by AdC68rab.gp were comparable with regard to both titers and isotype profiles to those induced by an adenoviral recombinant based on human serotype 5 (Adhu5) expressing the same transgene product. In contrast, subcutaneous immunization with the AdC68rab.gp vaccine resulted in markedly lower antibody responses to the rabies virus glycoprotein than the corresponding Adhu5 vaccine. Antibodies from AdC68rab.gp-immunized mice were strongly biased towards the immunoglobulin G2a isotype. The antibody response to the rabies virus glycoprotein presented by Adhu5rab.gp was severely compromised in animals preexposed to the homologous adenovirus. In contrast, the rabies virus-specific antibody response to the AdC68rab.gp vaccine was at most marginally affected by preexisting immunity to common human adenovirus serotypes, such as 2, 4, 5, 7, and 12. This novel vaccine carrier thus offers a distinct advantage over adenoviral vaccines based on common human serotypes.E1-deletion-containing replication-defective adenoviral recombinants based on human serotype 5 (Adhu5) have been tested widely as carriers for gene therapy (2, 21). Gene therapy trials demonstrated high-level expression of the transgene product in a variety of different cell types. Nevertheless, expression was transient in vivo due to clearance of adenovirusinfected cells by CD8 ϩ T cells directed against antigens of the adenovirus as well as against the transgene product (4, 26). Vaccine studies based on the rabies virus glycoprotein (22), the circumsporozoite protein of Plasmodium falciparum (17), the E6 and E7 oncoproteins of human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16) (9), and others (9;

Recombinant adenoviruses are attractive vehicles for liver-directed gene therapy because of the high efficiency with which they transfer genes to hepatocytes in vivo. First generation recombinant adenoviruses deleted of El sequences also express recombinant and early and late viral genes, which lead to development of destructive cellular immune responses. Previous studies indicated that class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-restricted cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) play a major role in eliminating virus-infected cells. The present studies utilize mouse models to evaluate the role of T-helper cells in the primary response to adenovirus-mediated gene transfer to the liver. In vivo ablation of CD4+ cells or interferon 'y (IFN-y) was sufficient to prevent the elimination of adenovirus-transduced hepatocytes, despite the induction of a measurable CTL response.Mobilization of an effective THI response as measured by in vitro proliferation assays was associated with substantial upregulation of MHC class I expression, an effect that was prevented in IFN-y-deficient animals. These results suggest that elimination of virus-infected hepatocytes in a primary exposure to recombinant adenovirus requires both induction of antigen-specific CTLs as well as sensitization of the target cell by TH1-mediated activation of MHC class I expression.

Human sera from the United States, Thailand, and sub-Saharan Africa and chimpanzee sera were tested for neutralizing antibodies to 3 chimpanzee adenoviruses. Antibodies were more common in humans residing in sub-Saharan Africa than in humans living in the United States or Thailand. This finding suggests cross-species transmission of chimpanzee adenoviruses.