METHOD OF INDUCING CELL-MEDIATED PROTECTIVE IMMUNITY AGAINST HIV USING LOW DOSES OF IMMUNOGENS

摘要

A method and composition is disclosed for inducing a protective immunity against HIV by inoculation with immunogens in low doses that are sufficient to induce a sustained cellmediated response to HIV but below the amount necessary to induce an offsetting humoral response. The immunogens available for use in this method include attenuated forms of the HIV virus, subunits of the HIV virus, inactivated HIV virus and subinfectious doses of live HIV virus, all delivered at low doses these immunogens can be prepared with suitable carriers, adjuvants or diluents and administered either intramuscularly, mucosally (e.g., orally), intravenously or subcutaneously. The effectiveness of the initial dose of immunogen can be monitored for the presence of a sufficient cell-mediated response using a T-cell proliferation assay or an interleukin-2 assay and monitored for the lack of offsetting humoral response using commercially available ELISA assays for anti-HIV anibodies Depending upon the results of the cell-mediated response assays, supplementary or "booster" inoculations may be appropriate.