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Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is still a global public health issue, and the development of an effective prophylactic vaccine inducing potent neutralizing antibodies remains a significant challenge. This study aims to explore the inflammation‐related proteins associated with the neutralizing antibodies induced by the DNA/rTV vaccine. In this study, we employed the Olink chip to analyze the inflammation‐related proteins in plasma in healthy individuals receiving HIV candidate vaccine (DNA priming and recombinant vaccinia virus rTV boosting) and compared the differences between neutralizing antibody‐positive (nab +) and –negative(nab‐) groups. We identified 25 differentially expressed factors and conducted enrichment and correlation analysis on them. Our results revealed that significant expression differences in artemin (ARTN) and C‐C motif chemokine ligand 23 (CCL23) between nab+ and –nab‐ groups. Notably, the expression of CCL23 was negatively corelated to the ID50 of neutralizing antibodies and the intensity of the CD4+ T cell responses. This study enriches our understanding of the immune picture induced by the DNA/rTV vaccine, and provides insights for future HIV vaccine development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study aimed to develop a universal vaccine that can effectively address future outbreaks of coronavirus infections. Materials & methods: We developed recombinant DNA vaccines and vaccinia vector vaccines specific for SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 and evaluated them in BALB/c mice. Both cellular and humoral immune responses were analyzed. Results: Compared with those immunized with the SARS-CoV or SARS-CoV-2 vaccine alone, the cross-immune group exhibited a 21.2-fold increase in cellular immune response, an over 80-fold increase in binding antibodies and a 136.7-fold increase in neutralizing antibodies. The combination of recombinant DNA and vaccinia vaccines induced a stronger immune response than DNA vaccine immunization alone. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that cross-immunization with different coronaviruses can induce a broad immune response. Plain language summary Multiple outbreaks of infections caused by coronaviruses like SARS-CoV-2 have driven the need for a vaccine that can work against multiple types of coronaviruses. This study focused on two coronaviruses, SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2, to see if a vaccine could protect against both. We tested a vaccine containing both types of coronaviruses on mice and found that there was a strong immune response against both SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2. In fact, using a combination of the two vaccines was even more effective than using either one alone. These findings suggest that being vaccinated for both coronaviruses could provide broader protection against different types of coronaviruses and offer important information about how to develop vaccines that work against multiple viruses. As the outbreaks of new viruses, particularly SARS-related viruses, become increasingly frequent, we try to develop a universal vaccine strategy to response to potential new viruses emergence. We chose mice with cross-immunity to SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 in order to explore methods for inducing broad immune responses. Cross-immunization with SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 can induce broader cellular immune response, binding antibodies and neutralizing antibodies than administering either of them alone. Combination of recombinant DNA and vaccinia vaccines induced a stronger immune response than DNA vaccine immunization alone. Sequential immunization with different vaccines could be a feasible vaccination strategy for future virus outbreaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The membrane-proximal external region (MPER) is a promising HIV-1 vaccine target owing to its linear neutralizing epitopes and highly conserved amino acids. Here, we explored the neutralization sensitivity and investigated the MPER sequences in a chronic HIV-1 infected patient with neutralizing activity against the MPER. Using single-genome amplification (SGA), 50 full-length HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (env) genes were isolated from the patient's plasma at two time points (2006 and 2009). The neutralization sensitivity of 14 Env-pseudoviruses to autologous plasma and monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) was evaluated. Env gene sequencing revealed that the diversity of Env increased over time and four mutation positions (659D, 662K, 671S, and 677N/R) were identified in the MPER. The K677R mutation increased the IC50 values of pseudoviruses approximately twofold for 4E10 and 2F5, and E659D increased the IC50 up to ninefold for 4E10 and fourfold for 2F5. These two mutations also decreased the contact between gp41 and mAbs. Almost all mutant pseudoviruses were resistant to autologous plasma at both the earlier and concurrent time points. Mutations 659D and 677R in the MPER decreased the neutralization sensitivity of Env-pseudoviruses, providing a detailed understanding of MPER evolution which might facilitate advances in the design of HIV-1 vaccines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]