Study on HIV-1-specific CD4+ T cells that can control HIV-1 replication.

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K19614
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Infectious disease medicine
• Research Institution: Kumamoto University
• Principal Investigator: CHIKATA TAKAYUKI 熊本大学, エイズ学研究センター, 研究員 (60749711)
• Research Collaborator: GATANAGA Hiroyuki
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: HIV-1特異的CD4陽性T細胞 / Gag / HIV-1

Outline of Final Research Achievements

To clarify and identify of HIV-1-specific CD4+ T cells that contributed to suppression of HIV-1 replication, we analyzed the specific CD4+ T cell responses using Gag, Pol, Nef overlapping 17-mer peptides and its pools in 394 chronically HIV-1 clade B-infected Japanese individuals. We found that the T cell responders to the 3 peptide pools, Gag3, Gag4, and Pol18, had lower plasma viral load that the non-responders, and total magnitude of their responses were significantly correlated with lower plasma viral load. However, we could not establish Gag3, Gag4, and Pol18-specific CD4+ T cells form the responders. In contrast of them, we finally succeeded to establish the CD4+ T cell clones specific for a single 17mer peptide, Gag17-45, in Gag6 peptide pool from a Gag6-responder who showed high T cell response. These results gave the important knowledge and information for the development of HIV-1 vaccine.

Free Research Field

感染免疫学