DNA vaccine

Two rabies post-exposure therapies were comparatively evaluated: BALB/c mice were challenged at day 0 with rabies virus and then received either a single dose of rabies DNA vaccine administered at day 0, or five doses of cell culture-derived rabies vaccine administered at days 0, 3, 7, 15 and 28. Both regimens, rapidly triggered protective levels of neutralizing antibodies against rabies virus in vaccinated mice. In addition, one injection of DNA vaccine protected 53% of the challenged mice, compared to 40% of mice protected after five injections of cell culture-derived vaccine. We conclude that rabies post-exposure vaccination in BALB/c mice, based on a single administration of rabies DNA vaccine might be at least as effective as five injections of cell culture-derived vaccine.

Tattooing is one of a number of DNA delivery methods which results in an efficient expression of an introduced gene in the epidermal and dermal layers of the skin. The tattoo procedure causes minor mechanical injuries followed by hemorrhage, necrosis, inflammation and regeneration of the skin and thus non-specifically stimulates the immune system. DNA vaccines delivered by tattooing have been shown to induce higher specific humoral and cellular immune responses than intramuscularly injected DNA.

Progress on plasmid-based (pDNA) vaccines requires simpler and efficient cultivation techniques for their production. A prevalent problem in the cultivation of Escherichia coli (the main host for pDNA vaccines production) is the aerobic production of acetate. In this work, a metabolically engineered Escherichia coli strain with strongly reduced acetate formation was tested for the production of a plasmid vaccine at

Immunology and Cell Biology focuses on the general functioning of the immune system in its broadest sense, with a particular emphasis on its cell biology. Areas that are covered include but are not limited to: Cellular immunology, Innate and adaptive immunity, Immune responses ...

Two approaches to immunological intervention in tumor-host interactions in mouse models are discussed in this review. The first is described with reference to experiments in which CD8(+) T lymphocytes are used to kill established transplantable tumors. Peptides and their optimal presentation by dendritic cells and intervention in immune regulatory mechanisms are the key issues for efficient induction of T-killer cell-mediated tumor eradication. The time frame of tumor therapy and the threat imposed by tumor growth in transplantable models and cancer patients require the induction of a robust T-cell reaction. Prevention of the progression of small preneoplastic lesions, on the other hand, requires the significant and prolonged immune protection sought in the second approach. This is based on antibody production and the coordinated activation of multiple low-avidity cell-mediated mechanisms elicited by DNA vaccination in genetically modified cancer-prone mice, transgenic for a mutant ...

Murine tumor cells obtained through transfection of expression plas- mids carrying activated cellular and/or viral oncogenes constitute formi dable tools for immunological tumor research. As reported previously, mouse embryo cells of C57BL/6 origin, transformed by mutated p53 or human papilloma virus type 16 (HPV16), present, at their surface, MHC- bound peptides that are derived from the p53 and the HPV16

Mucosal immunization may be important for protection against pathogens whose transmission and pathogenesis target mucosal tissue. The capsid proteins of human papillomavirus (HPV) confer tropism for basal epithelium and can encapsidate DNA during self-assembly to form pseudovirions (PsV). Therefore, we produced mucosal vaccine vectors by HPV PsV-encapsidation of DNA plasmids expressing an experimental antigen derived from the M and M2 proteins of respiratory syncytial virus. Intravaginal (IVag) delivery elicited local and systemic M/M2-specific CD8+ T-cell and antibody responses in mice comparable to a 10,000-fold higher dose of naked DNA. A single HPV PsV IVag immunization primed for M/M2-specific-IgA in nasal and vaginal secretions. Based on light emission and immunofluorescent microscopy, immunization with HPV PsV-encapsidated luciferase- and red fluorescent protein (RFP)-expressing plasmids resulted in transient antigen expression (<5 days) restricted to the vaginal epithelium. HPV PsV encapsidation of plasmid DNA is a novel strategy for mucosal immunization that may provide new vaccine options for selected mucosal pathogens.

Canine parvovirus 2 (CPV-2) has been considered to be an important pathogen of domestic and wild canids and has spread worldwide since its emergence in 1978. It has been reported from Asia, Australia, New Zealand, the Americas and Europe. Two distinct parvoviruses are now known to infect dogs-the pathogenic CPV-2 and CPV-1 or the minute virus of canine (MVC). CPV-2, the causative agent of acute hemorrhagic enteritis and myocarditis in dogs, is one of the most important pathogenic viruses with high morbidity (100%) and frequent mortality up to 10% in adult dogs and 91% in pups. The disease condition has been complicated further due to emergence of a number of variants namely CPV-2a, CPV-2b and CPV-2c over the years and involvement of domestic and wild canines. There are a number of different serological and molecular tests available for prompt, specific and accurate diagnosis of the disease. Further, both live attenuated and inactivated vaccines are available to control the disease i...