Because the transmission of HIV is likely to occur through cell-associated virus, an effective HIV vaccine should be capable of eliciting HIV-specific CTL. We have employed the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)/rhesus monkey model to explore the use of the attenuated tuberculosis bacillus, Calmette Guérin bacillus (BCG), as a vaccine vehicle to elicit AIDS virus-specific CTL. BCG was engineered to express SIVmac gag under the control of hsp70 regulatory sequences. Immunization with this rBCG-SIVmac gag elicited MHC class I-restricted, CD8+ SIVmac gag-specific CTL in rhesus monkeys. In fact, SIVmac gag-specific CTL could be cloned readily from peripheral blood lymphocytes of these immunized monkeys. These findings provide further evidence for the power of BCG as a vaccine vector and its continued exploration as a vehicle for eliciting HIV-specific immunity.
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