| Summary: | <p>Abstract</p> <p>We have recently developed a candidate HIV-1 vaccine model based on HIV-1 Pr55gag Virus-Like Particles (HIV-VLPs), produced in a baculovirus expression system and presenting a gp120 molecule from an Ugandan HIV-1 isolate of the clade A (HIV-VLP<sub>A</sub>s).</p> <p>The HIV-VLP<sub>A</sub>s induce in Balb/c mice systemic and mucosal neutralizing Antibodies as well as cytotoxic T lymphocytes, by intra-peritoneal as well as intra-nasal administration. Moreover, we have recently shown that the baculovirus-expressed HIV-VLPs induce maturation and activation of monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MDDCs) which, in turn, produce Th1- and Th2-specific cytokines and stimulate <it>in vitro </it>a primary and secondary response in autologous CD4+ T cells.</p> <p>In the present manuscript, the effects of the baculovirus-expressed HIV-VLP<sub>A</sub>s on the genomic transcriptional profile of MDDCs obtained from normal healthy donors have been evaluated. The HIV-VLP<sub>A </sub>stimulation, compared to both PBS and LPS treatment, modulate the expression of genes involved in the morphological and functional changes characterizing the MDDCs activation and maturation.</p> <p>The results of gene profiling analysis here presented are highly informative on the global pattern of gene expression alteration underlying the activation of MDDCs by HIV-VLP<sub>A</sub>s at the early stages of the immune response and may be extremely helpful for the identification of exclusive activation markers.</p>
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