title: DNA multi-CTL epitope vaccines for HIV and Plasmodium falciparum: immunogenicity in mice.
abstract: The potential of building multi-cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) epitope antigens in combination with the nucleic acid immunization technology is explored for development of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and malaria vaccines. A novel minimal vector pTH for direct gene transfer was constructed for efficient expression of vaccine antigens and used as a vehicle for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)- and Plasmodium falciparum-derived polyepitope genes. Two murine epitopes were included into these constructs to allow for testing of vaccine immunogenicity in small animals. The results showed that a single DNA injection generated CTL responses in all 15 vaccinated mice. The elicited CTL precursor frequencies were estimated in an interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma)-based ELISPOT assay and found to be an average of 300 (range 4-1346) peptide-responding cells per 10(6) splenocytes.
authors.affiliation: Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hanke
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Gilbert
authors.forename: A V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: McMichael
mesh_terms: D016915:AIDS Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D006678:HIV / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D017780:Malaria Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000276:immunology*; D017778:Vaccines, Combined / Q000276:immunology; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D016915:AIDS Vaccines; D017780:Malaria Vaccines; D017778:Vaccines, Combined; D019444:Vaccines, DNA