title: Imiquimod and S-27609 as adjuvants of DNA vaccination in a transgenic murine model of HER2/neu-positive mammary carcinoma.
abstract: DNA vaccination against HER-2/neu is an effective way to induce an immune response able to oppose the spontaneous development of mammary tumours occurring in HER-2/neu transgenic mice. In this study, we have evaluated the potential of Imiquimod and the analogue S-27609 as adjuvants of DNA vaccination against HER-2/neu in transgenic mice. The association of a DNA vaccine encoding a portion of rat HER2/neu with either Imiquimod or S-27609 was found to delay the development of spontaneous mammary tumours and to reduce their incidence, in comparison with DNA vaccination alone. Almost 80 or 40% of tumour-free mice were found at the end of measurement time in mice vaccinated and supplemented with Imiquimod or S-27609, respectively. The antitumour preventive effect was associated with increased antibody and cell-mediated immune responsiveness against HER-2/neu. In mice vaccinated and supplemented with Imiquimod, a small but significant increase of rat p185neu-specific cytotoxicity and of IFN-gamma and IL-2-producing CD8T cells, together with a reduction of IL-4-producing CD4T cells, and a switch from an IgG1 towards a IgG2a phenotype of anti-p185neu antibodies, suggested a TH1 polarization of the immune response. The immunoregulatory efficacy of S-27609 was lower than that observed for Imiquimod. These data highlight the potential of Imiquimod, and, to a lower extent, of S-27609, as immunological adjuvants of therapeutic DNA vaccines.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Tumor Immunology, Immunology Center, INRCA Research Department, Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Smorlesi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Papalini
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Orlando
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Donnini
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Re
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Provinciali
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000008:administration & dosage; D019264:Adoptive Transfer; D000634:Aminoquinolines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000818:Animals; D019496:Cancer Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D018734:Genes, erbB-2; D015316:Genetic Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D000077271:Imiquimod; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000276:immunology; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000276:immunology; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000276:immunology; D008325:Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D023421:Models, Animal; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: C095471:4-amino-alpha,alpha,2-trimethyl-1H-imidazo(4,5-c)quinoline-1-ethanol; D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000634:Aminoquinolines; D019496:Cancer Vaccines; D007376:Interleukin-2; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D016753:Interleukin-10; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D000077271:Imiquimod