title: Therapy of murine cutaneous leishmaniasis by DNA vaccination.
abstract: Prophylactic DNA vaccination protects mice against infection with Leishmania major by inducing an exclusive Th1 immune response dominated by the production of IFN-gamma. Here we show that DNA vaccines, initially designed to prevent infection, can also have a significant therapeutic effect. In L. major infected mice, vaccination with DNA encoding the Parasite Surface Antigen/gp46/M2 causes reduction in lesion size and promotes healing in both genetically resistant C3H/He mice and susceptible BALB/c mice. The therapeutic effect is underpinned by a shift in the T cell-derived cytokine environment with an increase in the IFN-gamma producing Th1 type cells. Application of such immunotherapy in conjunction with antiparasite drugs may result in faster or more certain cure of the disease in humans.
authors.affiliation: The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Post Office Royal Melbourne Hospital, Victoria 3050, Australia.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Handman
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Noormohammadi
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Curtis
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Baldwin
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sjölander
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005260:Female; D018320:Leishmania major / Q000276:immunology*; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000628:therapy*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D016052:Protozoan Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D014611:Vaccination; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D016207:Cytokines; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D016052:Protozoan Vaccines; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; C072094:surface antigen P2, Leishmania