title: Refinement of strategies for the development of a human cytomegalovirus dense body vaccine.
abstract: Development of a vaccine against human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection has been identified as a high priority goal in biomedical research, yet no vaccine has been licensed until now. Recombinant subviral dense bodies (recDB) are a promising basis for the establishment of such a vaccine. In this article, strategies for the generation of recDB, based on recombination-mediated genetic engineering of the 230 kb HCMV DNA genome in E. coli are outlined. Analysis of viral mutants that were constructed in this process provided the proof-of-principle that heterologous antigens can be packaged into recDB and that these particles prime CD8 T cell responses against the recombinant antigen upon their application to HLA-A2 transgenic mice.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Virology, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, Obere Zahlbacher Str. 67, 55101 Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Véronique
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mersseman
authors.forename: Verena
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Böhm
authors.forename: Rafaela
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Holtappels
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Deegen
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Wolfrum
authors.forename: Bodo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Plachter
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Reyda
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D022482:Cytomegalovirus Vaccines / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D022482:Cytomegalovirus Vaccines; D004279:DNA, Viral; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic