title: Efficient delivery of DNA to dendritic cells mediated by influenza virosomes.
abstract: In an attempt to enhance the immunological efficacy of DNA-based vaccines, we have investigated a new biological means for delivering target gene DNA directly to professional antigen presenting cells (APC), such as the dendritic cells (DC), which are ultimately responsible for the antigen presentation and the primary activation of the immune system. For this purpose we investigated influenza virosomes (IRIV) with assembled DNA as a possible biological carrier for targeting the APC in vivo and in vitro. By cytofluorimetric analysis of the draining lymph nodes of Balb/c mice which had received (by intranasal (in.) administration) FITC-labeled DNA assembled with IRIV, we detected a significant labeled DNA uptake in a subset of lymph node deriving cells expressing DC surface markers. Subsequent mRNA analysis of these lymph nodes showed that the trans-gene delivered by the virosomes was effectively expressed as mRNA. Finally, a further cytofluorimetric analysis performed on human DC-enriched-PMBC, infected in vitro with labeled DNA/IRIV lead to the conclusion that the majority of APC (DC, B lymphocytes and CD16+ cells) are able to incorporate the labeled DNA transported by the construct. These findings suggest that the virosome is an efficient delivery system for testing infectious, as well as anti-cancer, DNA-based vaccine research.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, Microbiology Section, University of Siena, Via Laterina 8, 53100 Siena, Italy. cusi@unisi.it
authors.forename: Maria Grazia
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Cusi
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Terrosi
authors.forename: Gianni Gori
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Savellini
authors.forename: Giuseppa
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Di Genova
authors.forename: Rinaldo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zurbriggen
authors.forename: Pierpaolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Correale
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000281:Administration, Intranasal; D000818:Animals; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015316:Genetic Therapy; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009975:Orthomyxoviridae / Q000276:immunology*; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014162:Transfection; D019076:Transgenes / Q000276:immunology; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D022701:Virosomes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D007252:Influenza Vaccines; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D022701:Virosomes