# ALFQ adjuvanted HIV-1 envelope protein vaccination elicits durable functional antibody and cellular responses in nonhuman primates

## TL;DR

A new adjuvant called ALFQ improves immune responses to an HIV vaccine in nonhuman primates, leading to strong antibody and T cell responses.

## Contribution

ALFQ is shown to be more effective than other adjuvants in eliciting durable and functional immune responses.

## Key findings

- ALFQ and ALFQA adjuvants induced high levels of antigen-specific plasma cells in the bone marrow.
- Vaccines with ALFQ triggered robust antibody and CD8+ T cell responses.
- Transcriptomic data showed activation of antiviral and innate immune pathways with ALFQ.

## Abstract

Adjuvants play an important role in modulating antigen-specific immune responses. We conducted a comparative adjuvant immunogenicity study in Rhesus macaques using HIV-1 subtype B gp120 envelope protein, B.63521, formulated with aluminum hydroxide gel (AH), or a family of liposomal adjuvants known as Army Liposome Formulation (ALF). ALF comprises saturated phospholipids, cholesterol, and monophosphoryl lipid A. Inclusion of QS-21 or adsorption of the antigen to AH, followed by the addition of ALF, generates ALFQ and ALFA, while inclusion of both immunostimulants generates ALFQA. Priming with canarypox vector ALVAC, followed by boosting with ALVAC and gp120 formulated with each of the four adjuvants, resulted in ALFQ and ALFQA outperforming AH and ALFA vaccine formulations with a high frequency of antigen-specific plasma cells in the bone marrow, robust antibodies, and Env-specific polyfunctional CD8+ T cell responses. Transcriptomic analyses revealed upregulation of antiviral and innate immune pathways, thus highlighting ALFQ as a highly potent adjuvant.