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Review
. 2013 Nov 4:4:354.
doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2013.00354.

Synthetic DNA vaccines: improved vaccine potency by electroporation and co-delivered genetic adjuvants

Seleeke Flingai  1 , Matias Czerwonko, Jonathan Goodman, Sagar B Kudchodkar, Kar Muthumani, David B Weiner
Affiliations
Review

Synthetic DNA vaccines: improved vaccine potency by electroporation and co-delivered genetic adjuvants

Seleeke Flingai et al. Front Immunol. .

Abstract

In recent years, DNA vaccines have undergone a number of technological advancements that have incited renewed interest and heightened promise in the field. Two such improvements are the use of genetically engineered cytokine adjuvants and plasmid delivery via in vivo electroporation (EP), the latter of which has been shown to increase antigen delivery by nearly 1000-fold compared to naked DNA plasmid delivery alone. Both strategies, either separately or in combination, have been shown to augment cellular and humoral immune responses in not only mice, but also in large animal models. These promising results, coupled with recent clinical trials that have shown enhanced immune responses in humans, highlight the bright prospects for DNA vaccines to address many human diseases.

Keywords: DNA vaccine; adjuvants; electroporation; interleukin-12; plasmid.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Delivery of DNA vaccine with in vivo electroporation enhances cellular immune responses. A DNA vaccine encoding HIV-1 consensus immunogens was injected intramuscularly with or without EP into rhesus macaques. Interferon (IFN) gamma ELISpots were performed 2 weeks after the third (final) immunization; total antigen-specific cellular responses are shown, n = 5 per group. ELISpot, enzyme-linked immunospot assay; HIV-1, human immunodeficiency virus-1; SFU, spot-forming units; PBMCs, peripheral blood mononuclear cells; IM, intramuscular injection; IL, interleukin. Modified from Hirao et al. (77).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Co-administration of DNA vaccine with plasmid IL-12 increases cellular immune responses. A DNA vaccine encoding HIV-1 consensus immunogens was administered intramuscularly (without EP) to rhesus macaques with or without plasmid-encoded IL-12. Interferon (IFN) gamma ELISpots were performed 2 weeks after the third (final) immunization; total antigen-specific cellular responses are shown. n = 5 per group; ***represents p < 0.001. ELISpot, enzyme-linked immunospot assay; HIV-1, human immunodeficiency virus-1; SFU, spot-forming units; IL, interleukin. Modified from Hirao et al. (77).
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