title: Co-expression of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor with antigen enhances humoral and tumor immunity after DNA vaccination.
abstract: Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) was used to enhance humoral and tumor immunity resulting from DNA immunization. The genes encoding GM-CSF and antigen were cloned onto the same plasmid backbone, but separate promoters drove expression of each gene. beta-Galactosidase was used as the model antigen to generate antibody responses while the human tumor antigen, MAGE-1, was used to monitor tumor resistance. Immunization with a DNA vaccine co-expressing GM-CSF and beta-gal resulted in higher antigen-specific IgG responses than immunization with antigen encoding plasmid alone or co-inoculated with GM-CSF expressing plasmid. Similarly, DNA vaccines expressing both MAGE-1 antigen and GM-CSF were more effective in protecting against B16-MAGE-1 melanoma. However, both GM-CSF co-expressing DNA vaccines and co-inoculation with plasmids encoding the cytokine or antigen enhanced the generation antigen-specific IFN-gamma and IL-6 responses. These results demonstrate that co-expressing both GM-CSF and antigen on a DNA vaccine enhances humoral and tumor immune responses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Immunology, Institute for Cancer Research, University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3500 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA.
authors.forename: Xiangle
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Lisa M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Hodge
authors.forename: Harlan P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Leslie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tabor
authors.forename: Jerry W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Simecka
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D019496:Cancer Vaccines / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000235:genetics*; D007114:Immunization; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008546:Melanoma, Experimental / Q000517:prevention & control; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides / Q000494:pharmacology; D010957:Plasmids; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000276:immunology*; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; C408982:CPG-oligonucleotide; D019496:Cancer Vaccines; D015850:Interleukin-6; C489518:Mageb1 protein, mouse; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor; D001616:beta-Galactosidase