Differential distribution of antibodies to different viruses in young animals in the free-ranging rhesus macaques of Cayo Santiago.

Background: The breeding colony of free-ranging rhesus macaques was established in 1938 in Cayo Santiago (CS) with animals collected in northern India. The seroprevalence to cercopithecine herpesvirus type 1 (B virus) and simian retroviruses has been studied previously.

Results: This is the first report on the seropositivity to different viruses using samples collected shortly after removing animals (n = 245) from CS.

Protection by SIV VLP DNA prime/protein boost following mucosal SIV challenge is markedly enhanced by IL-12/GM-CSF co-administration.

The ever increasing number of people infected by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) throughout the world renders the development of effective vaccines an urgent priority. Herein, we report on an attempt to induce and enhance antiviral responses using a deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) prime/virus-like particles (VLP) protein boost strategy adjuvanted with interleukin (IL)-12/GM-CSF in rhesus macaques challenged with simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV). Thus, groups of monkeys were administered three consecutive doses of pVecB7 a plasmid expressing VLP with or without plasmids expressing IL-12 and GM-CSF at weeks 0, 13 and 26.