title: Augmentation of immune responses to hepatitis E virus ORF2 DNA vaccination by codelivery of cytokine genes.
abstract: DNA vaccines encoding a viral structural protein have been shown to induce antiviral immune responses and provide protection against subsequent viral challenge. In the present study we show that DNA immunization with a plasmid expressing the hepatitis E virus ORF2 structural protein (pcDNA-ORF2) induced low levels of long-lasting antibody responses in the murine model. The use of plasmids expressing interleukin-2 (IL-2) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating-factor (GM-CSF) in conjunction with pcDNA-ORF2 enhanced the antibody responses generated by pORF-2. We further show that the immune responses generated by plasmid pcDNA-ORF2 can be boosted with virus-like particles composed of the ORF2 protein expressed through a baculovirus expression system.
authors.affiliation: International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, India. renu@icgeb.res.in
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tuteja
authors.forename: T C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Takeda
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jameel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016207:Cytokines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000517:prevention & control; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000276:immunology*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics; D014611:Vaccination; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D007376:Interleukin-2; C400971:ORF2 protein, Hepatitis E virus; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines; D014764:Viral Proteins; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor