A Phase I Double Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Randomized Study of the Safety and Immunogenicity of Electroporated HIV DNA with or without Interleukin 12 in Prime-Boost Combinations with an Ad35 HIV Vaccine in Healthy HIV-Seronegative African Adults.

Strategies to enhance the immunogenicity of DNA vaccines in humans include i) co-administration of molecular adjuvants, ii) intramuscular administration followed by in vivo electroporation (IM/EP) and/or iii) boosting with a different vaccine. Combining these strategies provided protection of macaques challenged with SIV; this clinical trial was designed to mimic the vaccine regimen in the SIV study.Seventy five healthy, HIV-seronegative adults were enrolled into a phase 1, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Multi-antigenic HIV (HIVMAG) plasmid DNA (pDNA) vaccine alone or co-administered with pDNA encoding human Interleukin 12 (IL-12) (GENEVAX IL-12) given by IM/EP using the TriGrid Delivery System was tested in different prime-boost regimens with recombinant Ad35 HIV vaccine given IM.All local reactions but one were mild or moderate. Systemic reactions and unsolicited adverse events including laboratory abnormalities did not differ between vaccine and placebo recipients. No serious adverse events (SAEs) were reported. T cell and antibody response rates after HIVMAG (x3) prime-Ad35 (x1) boost were independent of IL-12, while the magnitude of interferon gamma (IFN-γ) ELISPOT responses was highest after HIVMAG (x3) without IL-12. The quality and phenotype of T cell responses shown by intracellular cytokine staining (ICS) were similar between groups. Inhibition of HIV replication by autologous T cells was demonstrated after HIVMAG (x3) prime and was boosted after Ad35. HIV specific antibodies were detected only after Ad35 boost, although there was a priming effect with 3 doses of HIVMAG with or without IL-12. No anti-IL-12 antibodies were detected.The vaccines were safe, well tolerated and moderately immunogenic. Repeated administration IM/EP was well accepted. An adjuvant effect of co-administered plasmid IL-12 was not detected.ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01496989

Combining ability for grain yield and silking of maize inbred lines derived from three open pollinated varieties released for mid altitudes of Rwanda: Comparison of Diallel and North Carolina Design II

Maize ( Zea mays L.) cropping systems have undergone extraordinary development in Rwanda during the past ten years, mainly due to the increase of agriculture productivity by the Crop Intensification Program (CIP). Consequently, there has been a shift from varieties from Open Pollinated Varieties (OPVs) to hybrid cultivars. The objective of this study was to estimate the general and specific combining abilities of inbred lines, developed from three OPVs released in mid-altitudes of Rwanda. Seventeen inbred lines were divided into female and male groups, and crossed using the North Carolina Design II (NCDII); while ten of them were crossed using Griffing\u2019s Diallel Method 4 (GDM4). The resulting crosses were evaluated at Cyabayaga, Rubona and Bugarama in Rwanda from October 2015 to March 2016. Results showed that additive and non-additive effects controlled grain yield, but non-additive effects were predominant whereas additive and maternal effects predominantly controlled silking. Six inbred lines (RML0006, RML0014, RML0015, RML0018, RM0017 and RML0010) had high general combining abilities (GCAs) for grain yield and negligible GCAs for silking; whereas ten crosses had specific combining abilities (SCAs) superior to 1.5 t ha-1 for grain yield and negligible SCAs for silking. These six inbred lines will also be used to predict and form maize synthetic varieties; while the ten crosses with best SCAs will be utilised for the developing maize hybrid varieties with high yields and reduced silking time.Le d\ue9veloppement de la culture du ma\uefs ( Zea mays L.) au Rwanda a connu un essor extraordinaire pendant les dix derni\ue8res ann\ue9es principalement \ue0 cause de l\u2019augmentation de la productivit\ue9 agricole par le Programme d\u2019Intensification des Cultures (CIP). Ce d\ue9veloppement a \ue9t\ue9 accompagn\ue9 par des changements de type de vari\ue9t\ue9, des Vari\ue9t\ue9s \ue0 Pollinisation Ouverte (OPVs) vers les hybrides. L\u2019objectif cette \ue9tude \ue9tait l\u2019estimation des aptitudes g\ue9n\ue9rales et sp\ue9cifiques \ue0 la combinaison des lign\ue9es de ma\uefs d\ue9velopp\ue9es dans trois OPVs adapt\ue9es aux moyennes altitudes. Dix-sept lign\ue9es ont \ue9t\ue9 divis\ue9es en deux groupes\ua0: le groupe des parents femelles et males. Puis, elles ont \ue9t\ue9 cross\ue9es suivant \u2018North Carolina Design II\u2019 (NCDII). Ensuite, dix lign\ue9es choisies ont \ue9t\ue9 cross\ue9es suivant le diall\ue8le de Griffing, 4\ue8me m\ue9thode (GDM4). Les croisements ont \ue9t\ue9 ensuite \ue9valu\ue9s dans trois sites\ua0: Cyabayaga, Rubona et Bugarama de D\ue9cembre 2015 jusqu\u2019en Mars 2016. Les observations ont port\ue9 sur les rendements en grains and le temps de floraison femelle. Les r\ue9sultats ont montr\ue9 que le rendement en grains \ue9tait contr\uf4l\ue9 par les effets additifs et non-additifs des g\ue8nes, mais les effets non-additifs \ue9taient dominants alors que la floraison femelle \ue9tait essentiellement contr\uf4l\ue9e par les effets additifs et maternels. Six lign\ue9es (RML0006, RML0014, RML0015, RML0018, RM0017 and RML0010) ont eu les hautes aptitudes g\ue9n\ue9rales \ue0 la combinaison (GCAs) pour le rendement en grains et les GCAs n\ue9gligeables pour le temps de floraison femelle alors que dix croisements ont eu les aptitudes sp\ue9cifiques \ue0 la combinaison (SCAs) sup\ue9rieures \ue0 1,5 t ha-1 pour le rendement en grains et les SCAs n\ue9gligeables pour la floraison femelle. Les lign\ue9es avec les meilleures GCAs vont \ueatre utilis\ue9es \ue0 la formation des vari\ue9t\ue9s synth\ue9tiques alors les croisements avec les meilleures SCAs vont \ueatre utilis\ue9s au d\ue9veloppement des vari\ue9t\ue9s hybrides de ma\uefs avec un haut rendement et une p\ue9riode de floraison femelle r\ue9duite

Assessment of anti-HIV-1 antibodies in oral and nasal compartments of volunteers from three different populations

In this study, we assessed the feasibility of collecting standardized nasal and salivary samples at centers in Nairobi (Kenya), Kigali (Rwanda) and London (UK) using different collection devices and media (Synthetic absorptive matrices versus flocked swabs, and Salimetrics Oral swabs versus whole oral fluid collection). We detected anti Gag (p24) and envelope (gp140) antibodies in both nasal fluid and salivary collections from all HIV-infected individuals, and cross-reactive anti-p24 antibodies were detected in 10% of HIV-uninfected individuals enrolled at one site. Collections from the nasal turbinates were comparable to samples collected deeper in the nasopharyngeal tract, and the yield of anti-p24 IgA in the whole oral fluid samples was higher than in samples collected from the parotid gland. We noted a trend toward reduced levels of anti-HIV antibody in the volunteers receiving anti-retroviral therapy (ART). Levels of antibodies were stable over multiple collection visits. Overall, this study shows that nasal and salivary samples can be collected in a standardized manner over repeated visits in both low and high resource settings. These methods may be used in support of future HIV vaccine clinical trials