title: Antigen epitope-expressing cytokines for DNA immunization.
abstract: Strategies to enhance the efficacy of DNA vaccination against malignancy remain to be established. In this study, a plasmid expressing a tumor antigen incorporated into the signal peptide of human IL-2 was tested as a DNA vaccine in a murine model system. Results showed that antigen-specific CTL responses were elicited by intramuscular injection of these plasmids. Importantly, compared with a minigene vector expressing the same epitope, the OVA epitope-incorporated, IL-2 expression plasmid vaccination was more effective in protecting mice from OVA-expressing tumor challenge. The improved efficacy appears to result from enhanced antigen presentation as well as the immunostimulatory activity of IL-2. This approach may provide new perspectives in designing cytokine-adjuvant DNA vaccines for clinical applications.
authors.affiliation: Gene Therapy Group, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, PO Box 245049, University of Arizona, Arizona Health Sciences Center, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA.
authors.forename: Xianghui
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Tom C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Tsang
authors.forename: Tong
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Phoebe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: David T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Harris
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017951:Antigen Presentation; D019496:Cancer Vaccines / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D002460:Cell Line; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D017931:DNA Primers; D000939:Epitopes / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D007115:Immunization Schedule; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation / Q000276:immunology; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000276:immunology; D010455:Peptides / Q000276:immunology; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D021382:Protein Sorting Signals; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D019496:Cancer Vaccines; D016207:Cytokines; D017931:DNA Primers; D000939:Epitopes; D007376:Interleukin-2; D010455:Peptides; D021382:Protein Sorting Signals; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D010047:Ovalbumin