RECOMBINANT SUBUNIT VACCINE FOR HUMAN CYTOMEGALOVIRUS

THE LONG-TERM OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROJECT IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN EFFECTIVE VACCINE AGAINST HUMAN CYTOMEGALOVIRUS (CMV). TO ACCOMPLISH THIS, EXPERIMENTAL FORMULATIONS CONTAINING A UNIQUE AND SAFE PURIFIED SAPONIN ADJUVANT WILL BE COMPARED TO CONTROL PREPARATIONS IN SALINE, IN FREUND'S COMPLETE ADJUVANT, AND IN ALUMINUM HYDROXIDE. THE MODEL ANTIGENS WILL BE THE MAJOR CMV SURFACE GLYCOPROTEINS, GP55-116 AND GP86, EXPRESSED IN AND PURIFIED FROM BACULOVIRUS-INFECTED INSECT CELLS. ASSAYS FOR HUMORAL RESPONSES WILL INCLUDE TOTAL ANTIGEN-SPECIFIC ANTIBODY RESPONSE, VIRAL NEUTRALIZING ANTIBODIES, ISOTYPING OF ANTIBODIES, AND ANTIGENIC REPERTOIRE OF ANTIBODIES (CARRIED OUT BY BINDING STUDIES OF BETA-GALACTOSIDASE FUSION PROTEINS CONTAINING KNOWN EPITOPES AND WESTERN BLOT ON PEPTIDE FRAGMENTS OF THE ANTIGENS). ASSAYS FOR CELL-MEDIATED RESPONSES WILL INCLUDE T-LYMPHOCYTE PROLIFERATION (MEASURED VIA 3H-THYMIDINE INCORPORATION AS WELL AS IL-3 PRODUCTION AFTER STIMULATION WITH ANTIGEN OR VIRUS).