Recombinant herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) codelivering interleukin-12p35 as a molecular adjuvant enhances the protective immune response against ocular HSV-1 challenge

An important aspect of ocular herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) vaccine development is identification of an appropriate adjuvant capable of significantly reducing both virus replication in the eye and explant reactivation in trigeminal ganglia. We showed recently that a recombinant HSV-1 vaccine expressing interleukin-4 (IL-4) is more efficacious against ocular HSV-1 challenge than recombinant viruses expressing IL-2 or gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) (Y. Osorio and H. Ghiasi, J. Virol. 77:5774-5783, 2003). We have now constructed and compared recombinant HSV-1 viruses expressing IL-12p35 or IL-12p40 molecule with IL-4-expressing HSV-1 recombinant virus. BALB/c mice were immunized intraperitoneally with IL-12p35-, IL-12p40-, IL-12p35+IL-12p40-, or IL-4-expressing recombinant HSV-1 viruses. Controls included mice immunized with parental virus and mice immunized with the avirulent strain KOS. The efficacy of each vaccine in protecting against ocular challenge with HSV-1 was assessed in terms of survival, eye disease, virus replication in the eye, and explant reactivation. Neutralizing antibody titers, T-cell responses, and expression of 32 cytokines and chemokines were also evaluated. Mice immunized with recombinant HSV-1 expressing IL-12p35 exhibited the lowest virus replication in the eye, the most rapid virus clearance, and the lowest level of explant reactivation. The higher efficacy against ocular virus replication and explant reactivation correlated with higher neutralizing antibody titers, cytotoxic-T-lymphocyte activities, and IFN-gamma expression in recombinant HSV-1 expressing IL-12p35 compared to other vaccines. Mice immunized with both IL-12p35 and IL-12p40 had lower neutralizing antibody responses than mice immunized with IL-12p35 alone. Our results confirm that recombinant virus vaccines expressing cytokine genes can enhance the overall protection against infection, with the IL-12p35 vaccine being the most efficacious of those tested. Collectively, the results support the potential use of IL-12p35 as a vaccine adjuvant, without the toxicity-associated concerns of IL-12.