3M-052, a synthetic TLR-7/8 agonist, induces durable HIV-1 envelope-specific plasma cells and humoral immunity in nonhuman primates.

Journal Article (Journal Article)

A fundamental challenge in vaccinology is learning how to induce durable antibody responses. Live viral vaccines induce antibody responses that last a lifetime, but those induced with subunit vaccines wane rapidly. Studies in mice and humans have established that long-lived plasma cells (LLPCs) in the bone marrow (BM) are critical mediators of durable antibody responses. Here, we present data that adjuvanting an HIV-1 clade C 1086.C-derived gp140 immunogen (Env) with a novel synthetic Toll-like receptor (TLR)-7/8 agonist named 3M-052 formulated in poly(lactic-co-glycolic)acid or PLGA nanoparticles (NPs) or with alum, either alone or in combination with a TLR-4 agonist GLA, induces notably high and persistent (up to ~1 year) frequencies of Env-specific LLPCs in the BM and serum antibody responses in rhesus macaques. Up to 36 and 18% of Env-specific cells among total IgG-secreting BM-resident plasma cells were detected at peak and termination, respectively. In contrast, adjuvanting Env with alum or GLA in NP induced significantly lower (~<100-fold) LLPC and antibody responses. Immune responses induced by 3M-052 were also significantly higher than those induced by a combination of TLR-7/8 (R848) and TLR-4 (MPL) agonists. Adjuvanting Env with 3M-052 also induced robust activation of blood monocytes, strong plasmablast responses in blood, germinal center B cells, T follicular helper (TFH) cells, and persistent Env-specific plasma cells in draining lymph nodes. Overall, these results demonstrate efficacy of 3M-052 in promoting high magnitude and durability of antibody responses via robust stimulation of innate immunity and BM-resident LLPCs.

Full Text

Duke Authors

Cited Authors

  • Kasturi, SP; Rasheed, MAU; Havenar-Daughton, C; Pham, M; Legere, T; Sher, ZJ; Kovalenkov, Y; Gumber, S; Huang, JY; Gottardo, R; Fulp, W; Sato, A; Sawant, S; Stanfield-Oakley, S; Yates, N; LaBranche, C; Alam, SM; Tomaras, G; Ferrari, G; Montefiori, D; Wrammert, J; Villinger, F; Tomai, M; Vasilakos, J; Fox, CB; Reed, SG; Haynes, BF; Crotty, S; Ahmed, R; Pulendran, B

Published Date

  • June 19, 2020

Published In

Volume / Issue

  • 5 / 48

PubMed ID

  • 32561559

Pubmed Central ID

  • PMC8109745

Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)

  • 2470-9468

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1126/sciimmunol.abb1025

Language

  • eng

Conference Location

  • United States