DNA Vaccines: Progress and Challenges

Abstract

In the years following the publication of the initial in vivo demonstration of the ability of plasmid DNA to generate protective immune responses, DNA vaccines have entered into a variety of human clinical trials for vaccines against various infectious diseases and for therapies against cancer, and are in development for therapies against autoimmune diseases and allergy. They also have become a widely used laboratory tool for a variety of applications ranging from proteomics to understanding Ag presentation and cross-priming. Despite their rapid and widespread development and the commonplace usage of the term “DNA vaccines,” however, the disappointing potency of the DNA vaccines in humans underscores the challenges encountered in the efforts to translate efficacy in preclinical models into clinical realities. This review will provide a brief background of DNA vaccines including the insights gained about the varied immunological mechanisms that play a role in their ability to generate immune responses.

mRNA-based cancer vaccine: prevention of B16 melanoma progression and metastasis by systemic injection of MART1 mRNA histidylated lipopolyplexes

“…[1][2][3][4][5] Ensuring induction of tumor antigen-specific CD8 þ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) is one of the major goals of cancer immunotherapy. CTLs are induced when antigens are presented by major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules to the T-cell receptors of CD8 þ T cells.…”

Intramuscular delivery of DNA releasing microspheres: Microsphere properties and transgene expression

“…Plasmid DNA has been or is being investigated in over a hundred clinical trials for the treatment of disorders such as cancer and vascular disease, or for the protection against disease through the use of vaccines [1][2][3]. Although results demonstrate proof of concept, the efficacy of these interventions may be increased through more efficient delivery systems.…”

Evaluation of Cell-Penetrating Peptide/Adenovirus Particles for Transduction of CAR-Negative Cells

“…Antisense oligonucleotides or siRNA can be delivered to the nucleus of a specific target cell to block the gene expression and silence a problematic gene (Kang, Kim et al 2000;Li, Fu et al 2005). DNA vaccines can be delivered into dendritic cells or muscle cells to be converted into a protein vaccine and manipulate the immune system (Donnelly, Wahren et al 2005). The first clear-cut success in the field of gene therapy was treatment of two children with X-SCID, an immunodeficiency disease caused by the inability of T-cells to differentiate.…”