Seminal vesicle fluid increases the efficacy of intravaginal HSV-2 vaccination

GLENDA ERNST; JORGE GEFFNER; FEDERICO REMES LENICOV; MELINA GONZALEZ PRINZ; AUGUSTO VARESE; JOSE ODDI; ANA CEBALLOS

Santiago de Chile

Workshop; Cell Biology Summer Course; 2016

Institut Pasteur - Paris, France

Semen is a well-known immunomodulator of female immune system. It promotes strong inflammation characterized by secretion of IL-6, IL-1b, GM-CSF and infiltration of the genital mucosa. In addition, it is able to induce significant immunosuppressive actions that favor allo-reactive tolerance to paternal antigens. favoring maternal acceptance of the semi-allogeneic conceptus at implantation. At the same time, semen is the main vector of a wide range of sexually transmitted pathogens, as HIV and HSV-2. If immunomodulation of semen affects establishment and progression of these infections has surprisingly not been properly investigated yet. Our hypothesis is that semen, beyond being a vehicle of infectious agents, has the ability to modulate the immune response against sexually transmitted pathogens.In the present study, we used a well-characterized mouse model of genital HSV-2 infection by intravaginal route, to analyze whether seminal vesicle fluid (SVF), which represents a major fraction of semen volume, might be able to modulate the immune response against HSV-2.