[Evaluation of a dominant-negative recombinant herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 1 as a vaccine against genital herpes in mice und guinea pigs].

Genital herpes caused by herpes simplex virus (HSV) is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases worldwide. Currently, no safe and effective vaccine against HSV is available. CJ9-gD is a completely replication-defective HSV-1 recombinant which inhibits replication of wild-type HSV-1/-2 in co-infected cells (dominant-negative effect). Moreover, it expresses high levels of HSV-1 major antigen glycoprotein D (gD). Immunization with CJ9-gD induces strong and long-lasting humoral and Th1-like cellular immune responses against both HSV-1 and HSV-2 in mice protecting immunized animals significantly against genital challenge with HSV-1 or HSV-2. Guinea pigs immunized with CJ9-gD were significantly protected against primary and recurrent HSV-2 genital disease and latent infection.