Heterologous prime–boost vaccinations for poverty-related diseases: advantages and future prospects

Abstract

Classical vaccination approaches, based on a single vaccine administered in a homologous prime–boost schedule and optimized to induce primarily neutralizing antibodies, are unlikely to be sufficiently efficacious to prevent TB, malaria or HIV infections. Novel vaccines, capable of inducing a more powerful immune response, in particular T-cell immunity, are desperately needed. Combining different vaccine modalities that are able to complement each other and induce broad and sustainable immunity is a promising approach. This review provides an overview of heterologous prime–boost vaccination modalities currently in development for the ‘big three’ poverty-related diseases and emphasizes the need for innovative vaccination approaches.

Keywords::

• DNA
• heterologous prime–boost immunization
• HIV/AIDS
• malaria
• protein
• tuberculosis
• viral vector

Financial & competing interests disclosure

All authors are employees of Crucell, a biopharma company actively involved in the development of vaccines for poverty-related diseases. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.