Safety and Immunogenicity of a Tetravalent Dengue DNA Vaccine Administered with a Cationic Lipid-Based Adjuvant in a Phase 1 Clinical Trial

Abstract

Abstract.We conducted an open label, dose escalation Phase 1 clinical trial of a tetravalent dengue DNA vaccine (TVDV) formulated in Vaxfectin® to assess safety and immunogenicity. A total of 40 dengue- and flavivirus-naive volunteers received either low-dose (1 mg) TVDV alone (N = 10, group 1), low-dose TVDV (1 mg) formulated in Vaxfectin (N = 10, group 2), or high-dose TVDV (2 mg, group 3) formulated in Vaxfectin® (N = 20). Subjects were immunized intramuscularly with three doses on a 0-, 30-, 90-day schedule and monitored. Blood samples were obtained after each immunization and various time points thereafter to assess anti-dengue antibody and interferon gamma (IFNγ) T-cell immune responses. The most common adverse events (AEs) across all groups included mild to moderate pain and tenderness at the injection site, which typically resolved within 7 days. Common solicited signs and symptoms included fatigue (42.5%), headache (45%), and myalgias (47.5%). There were no serious AEs related to the vaccine or study procedures. No anti-dengue antibody responses were detected in group 1 subjects who received all three immunizations. There were minimal enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and neutralizing antibody responses among groups 2 and 3 subjects who completed the immunization schedule. By contrast, IFNγ T-cell responses, regardless of serotype specificity, occurred in 70%, 50%, and 79% of subjects in groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively. The largest IFNγ T-cell responses were among group 3 subjects. We conclude that TVDV was safe and well-tolerated and elicited predominately anti-dengue T-cell IFNγ responses in a dose-related fashion.

Production of dengue virus-like particles serotype-3 in silkworm larvae and their ability to elicit a humoral immune response in mice

“…Mixed sera of dengue patients can react to many non-speci c DENV epitopes. The DENV tetravalent DNA vaccine is well tolerated and capable of generating a su cient anti-dengue interferon-gamma-mediated T-cell response (Danko et al 2018).…”

A Review on Dengue Vaccine Development

“…The combination of tetravalent DNA vaccine (TVDV), tetravalent purified formalin-inactivated virus (TPIV), and tetra-live attenuated virus (TLAV)-enhanced vaccination strategy was tested in rhesus monkeys, and monkeys immunized with TVDV/TVDV/TLAV were partially protected while TPIV/TLAV immunized monkeys were completely free of viremia [64]. In phase 1 clinical trials, a TVDV with Vaxfectin ® (Vical, Boulder, CO, USA) adjuvant was found to trigger anti-dengue T cell IFNγ response with ideal safety [100].…”

Dengue vaccine development: Global and Indian scenarios

“…Data from a phase I trial of TVDV, which was completed in 2013, have just been reported recently. It was found that TVDV elicited predominantly anti-DENV T-cell interferongamma responses in a dose-dependent manner (Danko et al, 2018).…”