"The Unique Biology, Immunology and Efficacy of Cytomegalovirus-vectored Vaccines Against Chronic and Recurring Infectious Diseases," will be presented by Klaus Früh of Oregon Health and Science University at 4 p.m., Sept. 16 in E103 Beadle Center. The seminar is free and open to the public.
Persistent vectors based on cytomegalovirus (CMV) represent a novel vaccine technology that fundamentally differs from traditional vaccination approaches in several key elements:
• CMV-vectors elicit and maintain high frequencies of non-exhausted effector memory T cells. No other vector system achieves this level of longterm non-lymphoid T cell responses.
• Persistent immune stimulation does not require viral spreading or dissemination. Since all diseases caused by CMV require viral dissemination this feature renders CMV vectors safe.
• CMV-vector immunogenicity is independent of the CMV sero-status of the recipient due to the natural ability of CMV to escape pre-existing immunity and super-infect CMV-positive individuals. Since the vast majority of the world’s population is already infected with CMV this characteristic permits to use CMV vectors in all individuals.
• CMV vectors can be genetically altered to program different CD8+ T cell responses including unconventional CD8+ T cells that are restricted by MHC class II. Thus, pathogens now face "unfamiliar" T cell responses that are potentially more difficult to circumvent.
Pre-clinical studies in non-human primates demonstrated that these unique vectors can induce an unprecedented level of protection against simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV). In fact, animals vaccinated with CMV-vectored eventually cleared SIV despite being initially infected, a feat that has never been achieved with any type of treatment and suggests that CMV vectors could be used therapeutically. Clinical development of human CMV-based HIV vaccines is in progress. In addition, the CMV-vector platform is now being evaluated against other chronic and recurring infectious diseases with limited natural immunity.
The Beadle Center is located at 1901 Vine Street. The complete schedule of seminars may be found at http://biotech.unl.edu/.
More details at: http://go.unl.edu/pn4e