title: DNA vaccination of infants in the presence of maternal antibody: a measles model in the primate.
abstract: To eradicate measles in developing nations a vaccine capable of being administered at birth may be necessary. We immunized newborn rhesus macaques with naked DNA encoding the measles virus hemagglutinin, fusion and nucleoprotein genes. Prior to vaccination we passively transferred measles immunoglobulin to mimic maternal antibody. In the presence or absence of measles immunoglobulin, 23 of 25 infant macaques had detectable cell mediated immunity and 16 had protective levels of neutralizing antibody. The co-administration of an IL-2/IgG plasmid augmented the vaccine, increasing cell mediated immunity in all infants and increasing the antibody response in infants vaccinated without immunoglobulin. We show for the first time that DNA vaccination can protect a newborn primate from the high-level viremia that correlates with severe measles, even in the presence of maternal antibody. Further, the addition of a molecular IL-2 adjuvant augments this DNA vaccine.
authors.affiliation: California National Primate Research Center and Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of California-Davis, County Road 98, Davis, CA 95616-8542, USA.
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Premenko-Lanier
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Rota
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rhodes
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Verhoeven
authors.forename: Dan H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Barouch
authors.forename: Nicholas W
authors.initials: NW
authors.lastname: Lerche
authors.forename: Norman L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Letvin
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Bellini
authors.forename: Michael B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: McChesney
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D017931:DNA Primers; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000662:veterinary; D005814:Genes, Viral; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007112:Immunity, Maternally-Acquired; D007116:Immunization, Passive; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008297:Male; D008457:Measles / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D008459:Measles virus / Q000276:immunology*; D010957:Plasmids / Q000276:immunology; D018419:Primate Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D017931:DNA Primers; D004279:DNA, Viral; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins