Virus-like particles as carriers for T-cell epitopes: limited inhibition of T-cell priming by carrier-specific antibodies

J Virol. 2005 Jan;79(2):717-24. doi: 10.1128/JVI.79.2.717-724.2005.

Abstract

Virus-like particles (VLPs) are able to induce cytotoxic T-cell responses in the absence of infection or replication. This makes VLPs promising candidates for the development of recombinant vaccines. However, VLPs are also potent inducers of B-cell responses, and it is generally assumed that such VLP-specific antibodies interfere with the induction of protective immune responses, a phenomenon summarized as carrier suppression. In this study, we investigated the impact of preexisting VLP-specific antibodies on the induction of specific cytotoxic T-cell and Th-cell responses in mice. The data show that VLP-specific antibodies did not measurably reduce antigen presentation in vitro or in vivo. Nevertheless, T-cell priming was slightly reduced by antigen-specific antibodies; however, the overall reduction was limited and vaccination with VLPs in the presence of VLP-specific antibodies still resulted in protective T-cell responses. Thus, carrier suppression is unlikely to be a limiting factor for VLP-based T-cell vaccines.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Viral / immunology*
  • Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte*
  • Female
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / physiology
  • T-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • Vaccination
  • Virion / immunology*

Substances

  • Antibodies, Viral
  • Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell