CCR5 targeted SIV vaccination strategy preventing or inhibiting SIV infection.

Cell-surface CCR5 is a major coreceptor with CD4 glycoprotein, mediating cellular entry of CCR5 strains of HIV-1 or SIV. We targeted the SIV CCR5 coreceptor in a combined CCR5-SIV antigen immunization strategy. Rhesus macaques were immunized i.

A novel HIV-CCR5 receptor vaccine strategy in the control of mucosal SIV/HIV infection.

Objective: To develop a novel SIV-CCR5 receptor vaccine strategy that will protect macaques from SHIV infection by the vaginal mucosal route.

Design: The rationale for this strategy is that humans who express the homozygous delta32 CCR5 mutation and the associated upregulation of CC chemokines, the down-modulation of cell-surface expression of CCR5 and antibodies to CCR5 are protected against HIV infection.

Methods: A vaccine was prepared consisting of three extracellular peptides of CCR5, an N-terminal HIV gp120 fragment generated in transgenic plants and recombinant SIV p27.