title: CD40 ligand (CD154) improves the durability of respiratory syncytial virus DNA vaccination in BALB/c mice.
abstract: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection is the single most important cause of serious acute respiratory illness in children <1 year of age worldwide, and is associated with life-threatening pneumonia or bronchiolitis in the elderly. Current vaccine strategies include live, attenuated virus, subunit and DNA vaccines, however, none have been sufficiently safe, or shown to induce satisfactory long-term immunity, thus immune modulators are being considered to enhance the effectiveness of RSV vaccines. In this study, we examine CD40 ligand (CD40L) as an immune modulator to enhance the durability of DNA vaccines encoding RSV F and/or G glycoproteins in BALB/c mice. The addition of CD40L to DNA vaccines encoding the F glycoprotein enhanced virus clearance and some aspects of the immune response to RSV challenge, suggesting that CD40L may enhance the durability of RSV DNA vaccines.
authors.affiliation: National Centers for Infectious Diseases, Division of Viral and Rickettsial Diseases, Respiratory and Enteric Virus Branch, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop G-09, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Harcourt
authors.forename: Michael P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Larry J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: Ralph A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Tripp
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D023201:CD40 Ligand / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D008168:Lung / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D018357:Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D022261:Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D012136:Respiratory Syncytial Viruses / Q000276:immunology; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D014611:Vaccination; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000276:immunology*; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D022261:Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccines; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D014764:Viral Proteins; D023201:CD40 Ligand