An attenuated Listeria monocytogenes vector primes more potent simian immunodeficiency virus-specific mucosal immunity than DNA vaccines in mice.

A human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) vaccine that induces potent immune responses in the gastrointestinal mucosa would be highly desirable. Here we show that attenuated recombinant Listeria monocytogenes, administered orally utilizing its natural route of infection, induces potent mucosal as well as systemic immune responses in mice. Moreover, these responses can be boosted efficiently with replication-incompetent adenoviral vectors. L. monocytogenes elicited more potent simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) Gag-specific CD8(+) T lymphocyte responses in mucosal compartments than DNA vaccines.