DNA vaccines for biodefense

Abstract

An ideal biodefense vaccine platform would allow for the quick formulation of novel vaccines in response to emerging or engineered pathogens. The resultant vaccine should elicit protective immune responses in one to three doses and be unaffected by pre-existing immunity to vaccine components. In addition, it should be amenable to combination and multi-agent formulation, and should be safe for all populations and the environment. DNA vaccines can potentially meet all of these requirements; thus, this platform is being tested with several biodefense threats. Here, we provide a review of the current status of the development efforts for DNA vaccines against several relevant biodefense pathogens: Bacillus anthracis, Ebola and Marburg viruses, smallpox virus, and Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus.