title: A DNA vaccine co-expressing antigen and an anti-apoptotic molecule further enhances the antigen-specific CD8+ T-cell immune response.
abstract: We have shown that DNA encoding the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-xL enhances E7-specific CD8+ T-cell responses and DNA encoding pro-apoptotic protein caspase-3 suppresses E7-specific CD8+ T-cell responses when co-administered intradermally via gene gun with DNA encoding human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16) E7 linked to the sorting signal of the lysosome-associated membrane protein type 1 (LAMP-1). E7 and LAMP-1 are linked to form the chimeric Sig/E7/LAMP-1 (SEL). Because co-administration does not ensure delivery of both constructs to a single cell, we used pVITRO, a mammalian expression vector with double promoters, to ensure expression of both molecules in the same cell. We vaccinated C57BL/6 mice with pVITRO-SEL-Bcl-xL, pVITRO-SEL-mtBcl-xL, pVITRO-SEL, or pVITRO-SEL-caspase-3 intradermally via gene gun and intramuscularly via injection. We demonstrated that vaccination with pVITRO achieved similar results to a co-administration strategy: that Bcl-xL enhanced the E7-specific CTL response and caspase-3 suppressed the E7-specific CTL response. In addition, we found intradermal vaccination elicited significantly higher numbers of E7-specific CD8+ T cells compared to intramuscular vaccination. Thus, intradermal vaccination with a pVITRO vector combining an anti-apoptotic strategy (Bcl-xL) and an intracellular targeting strategy (SEL) further enhances the E7-specific CD8+ T-cell response and guarantees co-expression of both encoded molecules in transfected cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Tae Woo
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Chien-Fu
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Hung
authors.forename: Meizi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: David A K
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Boyd
authors.forename: Liangmei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Sara I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Pai
authors.forename: T-C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D002460:Cell Line; D005260:Female; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D006801:Humans; D007109:Immunity / Q000187:drug effects; D051907:Lysosomal Membrane Proteins; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D050725:Papillomavirus E7 Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics* / Q000494:pharmacology; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D014162:Transfection; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology; D051020:bcl-X Protein
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; C494811:BCL2L1 protein, human; C494812:Bcl2l1 protein, mouse; D051907:Lysosomal Membrane Proteins; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral; D050725:Papillomavirus E7 Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D051020:bcl-X Protein; C059731:oncogene protein E7, Human papillomavirus type 16; C505407:CASP3 protein, human; C505409:Casp3 protein, mouse; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases