Abstract
Because of microbicide noncompliance and lack of a durable, highly effective vaccine, a combined approach might improve HIV prophylaxis. We tested whether a vaccine-microbicide combination would enhance protection against SIV infection in rhesus macaques. Four macaque groups included vaccine only, vaccine-microbicide, microbicide only, and controls. Vaccine groups were primed twice mucosally with replicating adenovirus type 5 host range mutant SIV env/rev, gag, and nef recombinants and boosted twice i.m. with SIV gp120 proteins in alum. Controls and the microbicide-only group received adenovirus type 5 host range mutant empty vector and alum. The microbicide was SAMT-247, a 2-mercaptobenzamide thioester that targets the viral nucleocapsid protein NCp7, causing zinc ejection and preventing RNA encapsidation. Following vaccination, macaques were challenged intravaginally with repeated weekly low doses of SIVmac251 administered 3 h after application of 0.8% SAMT-247 gel (vaccine-microbicide and microbicide groups) or placebo gel (vaccine-only and control groups). The microbicide-only group exhibited potent protection; 10 of 12 macaques remained uninfected following 15 SIV challenges. The vaccine-only group developed strong mucosal and systemic humoral and cellular immunity but did not exhibit delayed acquisition compared with adjuvant controls. However, the vaccine-microbicide group exhibited significant acquisition delay compared with both control and vaccine-only groups, indicating further exploration of the combination strategy is warranted. Impaired protection in the vaccine-microbicide group compared with the microbicide-only group was not attributed to a vaccine-induced increase in SIV target cells. Possible Ab-dependent enhancement will be further investigated. The potent protection provided by SAMT-247 encourages its movement into human clinical trials.