Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
Immunol Cell Biol. 2012 Jul;90(6):594-600. doi: 10.1038/icb.2011.81. Epub 2011 Sep 20.
After nearly three decades of searching for a vaccine against HIV, a cure for this pandemic disease still remains elusive. The low immunogenicity of the surface proteins and the huge variability of the virus, together with the immunocompromised status of the host, have made developing an HIV vaccine an uphill battle. Over the past few years, both immunogen design and immunization strategies have improved, providing hope for future, although the anti-HIV responses achieved still remain modest. As developing a prophylactic vaccine seems unlikely nowadays, efforts have focused on alternative therapeutic immunization approaches, although these still need to be further optimized. Using an immunomodulator capable of restoring immune function in the context of infection, thereby boosting cell-mediated and humoral responses, could be critical in effectively improving current therapeutic approaches. Adenosine deaminase, a protein with a pivotal role in T-cell co-stimulation, has been shown to robustly enhance specific T-cell responses against HIV in vitro. Although its role in humoral responses has not yet been assessed, genetic defects in this enzyme are associated with impaired cellular and humoral responses. Importantly, this molecule is already commercially available pharmaceutically and, therefore, it fulfils all the requirements to be assayed as an anti-HIV vaccine adjuvant.
经过近三十年的努力，人们仍未能找到针对 HIV 的疫苗，无法治愈这种流行疾病。表面蛋白的低免疫原性和病毒的巨大变异性，再加上宿主的免疫功能受损，使得开发 HIV 疫苗成为一项艰巨的任务。在过去的几年中，免疫原设计和免疫策略都得到了改善，为未来带来了希望，尽管所取得的抗 HIV 反应仍然有限。由于目前开发预防性疫苗似乎不太可能，因此人们的努力集中在替代治疗性免疫接种方法上，尽管这些方法仍需要进一步优化。使用能够在感染背景下恢复免疫功能的免疫调节剂，从而增强细胞介导和体液反应，可能对有效改善当前的治疗方法至关重要。腺苷脱氨酶是一种在 T 细胞共刺激中起关键作用的蛋白质，已被证明能够在体外强烈增强针对 HIV 的特异性 T 细胞反应。尽管尚未评估其在体液反应中的作用，但该酶的遗传缺陷与细胞和体液反应受损有关。重要的是，这种分子已经在商业上作为一种药物上市，因此它符合作为抗 HIV 疫苗佐剂进行检测的所有要求。
