title: Nucleic acid vaccines: research tool or commercial reality.
abstract: Polynucleotide immunization has captured the imagination of numerous researchers and commercial companies around the world as a novel approach for inducing immunity in animals. Clearly, the 'proof-of-principle' has been demonstrated both in rodents and various animal species. However, to date, no commercial veterinary vaccine has been developed, or to our knowledge, is in the licensing phase. The present review summarizes the types of pathogens and host species for which polynucleotide immunization has been tried. We have tried to identify possible barriers to commercialization of this technology and areas that need attention if this promising technology is ever to become a reality in the commercial arena.
authors.affiliation: University of Saskatchewan, Veterinary Infectious Disease Organization VIDO, 120 Veterinary Road, Saskatoon, Sask., Canada S7N 5E3. vido_comm@sask.usask.ca
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Babiuk
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Babiuk
authors.forename: B I
authors.initials: BI
authors.lastname: Loehr
authors.lastname: van Drunnen Littel-van den Hur
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017951:Antigen Presentation; D003132:Commerce; D006801:Humans; D019444:Vaccines, DNA
chemical_list: D019444:Vaccines, DNA