Development and characterization of viral inhibition assay (VIA) : a CD8T cell neutralization assay for use in clinical trials of HIV-1 vaccine candidates

Spentzou, Aggeliki

Publication date

January 2012

Abstract

We have characterized an assay measuring CD8+ T cell-mediated inhibition of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 replication, demonstrating specificity and reproducibility and employing a panel of HIV -1 isolates. The assay uses relatively simple autologous cell culture and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELlSA), avoids generation of T cell clones and can be performed with <2 million peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Efficient CD8+ T cell-mediated cross-clade inhibition of HIV-I replication in vitro was demonstrated in antiretroviral therapy-naive HIV -l-infected subjects with controlled viral replication in vivo but not in viremic subjects. The observed HIV-I inhibition is reversed by blockade of MHC I and physical separation of ...