Co-administration of a CpG adjuvant (VaxImmuneTM, CPG 7909) with CETP vaccines increased immunogenicity in rabbits and mice

Cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) is a plasma glycoprotein that facilitates the transfer of neutral lipids and phospholipids between lipoproteins and contributes to the regulation of the plasma concentration of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). Vaccines have been developed that elicit antibodies that bind to and reduce the lipid transfer function of CETP as a way to increase the plasma concentration of HDL-C and prevent or treat atherosclerosis. This study assessed the immunogenicity of two vaccine peptides. The first, CETi-1, is a dimerized synthetic peptide, including residues 461-476 of human CETP and residues 830-843 of tetanus toxoid, TT(830-843). The second, PADRE-CETP, is a monomeric peptide, in which a PADRE T cell epitope (aK-Cha-VAAWTLKAa) replaces the TT(830-843) T cell epitope of CETi-1. Both peptides were formulated with aluminum-containing adjuvants (AlhydrogelA‚®), and tested in mice and rabbits with or without the co-administration of the investigational TLR9 agonist V...