Honors Theses

Date of Award

Spring 5-2-2021

Document Type

Undergraduate Thesis

Department

Biology

First Advisor

Wayne Gray

Relational Format

Dissertation/Thesis

Abstract

Since its emergence in the early 1980’s HIV has killed approximately 32 million people, and continues to kill over half a million people every year. Significant research into potential vaccines and cures for HIV has been ongoing for decades but has been largely unsuccessful. One of the more promising technologies that is being investigated to develop an HIV vaccine is recombinant vaccine technology. The study presented in this thesis aims to use simian varicella virus (SVV) and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) to act as a model for recombinant vaccine development. If a recombinant SVV-SIV vaccine can be proven safe and effective at preventing SIV in monkeys, it could provide data to aid in the development of a potential HIV vaccine for humans. Specifically, it could aid in the development of a recombinant varicella zoster virus expressing human immunodeficiency virus antigens (rVZV-HIV).

In this thesis, sera from rhesus macaques that were immunized with a rSVV-SIV vaccine are analyzed. Antibody titers against SVV were determined using an indirect ELISA assay. The goal of this thesis is to evaluate the humoral response against the SVV vector in rSVV-SIV immunized rhesus macaques.

Accessibility Status

Searchable text

Download

Share

COinS
 
 

To view the content in your browser, please download Adobe Reader or, alternately,
you may Download the file to your hard drive.

NOTE: The latest versions of Adobe Reader do not support viewing PDF files within Firefox on Mac OS and if you are using a modern (Intel) Mac, there is no official plugin for viewing PDF files within the browser window.