Development of the dual-subtype feline immunodeficiency virus vaccine

Janet K Yamamoto, Barbara A Torres and Ruiyu Pu
Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, United States

Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is a natural infection of domestic cats that results in an immunodeficiency syndrome resembling HIV infection in humans. Since its discovery in 1987, FIV infection of cats has been used in vaccine studies as a small-animal model of human AIDS.

Recent FIV vaccine data are compared as to vaccine approach, vaccine strains used, immunity, efficacy, and challenge strains. Also discussed are the design and approach of the first animal lentivirus vaccine to be approved, the dual-subtype FIV vaccine. This highly efficacious vaccine, developed by researchers at the University of Florida, uses viruses from two subtypes of FIV that were isolated from long-term nonprogressor cats. The criteria for vaccine virus selection is discussed, as well as the approach of using inactivated whole virus, which is not the currently preferred vaccine design for HIV.