AbstractDendritic cells (DCs) can take up antigen via a number of routes. Of these, several studies have shown antigen uptake via the CD40 receptor generates some of the strongest CD8+ T cell responses. At the same time, stimulation through CD40 activates DCs for cross-presentation and heightened antigen presentation. Consequently, it is desirable to combine the CD40 targeting of antigen and a CD40 stimulant into a single vaccine formulation. When the CD40 stimulant is CD40 ligand (CD40L, CD154), it is important to use a multi-trimer complex that clusters CD40 in the DC membrane, thereby engaging downstream signaling pathways. Such a multi-trimer form of CD40L can be provided by fusing the extracellular domain of CD40L with the body of surfactant protein D (SPD), a self-assembling 12-chain soluble molecule with 4 trimeric “arms.” When an antigen sequence is included within the SPD arm, the entire protein complex is termed “Multi-trimer AntiGen Adjuvant Vaccine (Vax)” or “MagaVax.” Studies in mice have shown that MagaVax elicits very high levels of antigen-specific CD8+ T cells with high TCR avidity and functional activity. MagaVax can be effectively delivered as a DNA vaccine i.m. and even more effectively using an adenoviral (Ad5) vector. For a MagaVax encoding HIV-1 Gag, vaccination with Ad5-MagaVax-Gag led to complete protection (“sterilizing immunity”) from Vaccinia-Gag challenge (i.e., 7 log reduction of tissue virus). Thus far, MagaVax formulations have been made for HIV-1 Gag, Ebola, malaria, hepatitis B virus (HBV), and tumor-specific neoantigens. In all of these cases, there may be a clinical benefit for a vaccine that elicits very strong CD8+ T cell responses.