title: Protection against mycoplasma infection using expression-library immunization.
abstract: As is evident from the human immunodeficiency virus epidemic, there is no systematic method for producing a vaccine. Genetic immunization is a new approach to vaccine production that has many of the advantages of live/attenuated pathogens but no risk of infection. It involves introducing DNA encoding a pathogen protein into host cells and has shown promise in several disease models. Here we describe a new method for vaccine development, expression-library immunization, which makes use of the technique of genetic immunization and the fact that all the antigens of a pathogen are encoded in its DNA. An expression library of pathogen DNA is used to immunize a host thereby producing the effects of antigen presentation of a live vaccine without the risk. We show that even partial expression libraries made from the DNA of Mycoplasma pulmonis, a natural pathogen in rodents, provide protection against challenge from the pathogen. Expression library immunization may prove to be a general method for vaccination against any pathogen.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas 75235-8573, USA.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Barry
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Johnston
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis; D001483:Base Sequence; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D004274:DNA, Recombinant / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D015723:Gene Library; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009175:Mycoplasma Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004274:DNA, Recombinant