title: CD40-expressing plasmid induces anti-CD40 antibody and enhances immune responses to DNA vaccination.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Various approaches have been used to improve the efficacy of DNA vaccination, including the incorporation of molecular adjuvants. Because the CD40 ligand-CD40 interaction plays a major role in initiating immune responses, we sought to develop a molecular adjuvant targeting this interaction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We immunized mice with a foot-and-mouth disease virus DNA vaccine, pcD-VP1, together with a CD40-expressing plasmid, pcD-CD40. We found that pcD-CD40 induced anti-CD40 antibodies, which temporally correlated with the augmented production of anti-VP1 antibody. pcD-CD40 similarly augmented the humoral response of another DNA vaccine that targets hepatitis B virus, and passive transfer of anti-CD40 antisera also showed a similar effect. Furthermore, the pcD-CD40-elicited anti-CD40 antibodies were able to activate the CD40 signal pathway in antigen-presenting cells in vitro, which led to the maturation of dendritic cells (DCs) and DC-mediated T cell activation. Thus, pcD-CD40 augments DNA vaccination by inducing anti-CD40 antibodies, which in turn promotes T cell activation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first reported 'proadjuvant' that augments DNA vaccination indirectly by eliciting agonistic antibodies.
authors: State Key Laboratories for Agro-Biotechnology, College of Biological Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
authors: Hanqian
authors: H
authors: Xu
authors: Gan
authors: G
authors: Zhao
authors: Xiaoxi
authors: X
authors: Huang
authors: Zheng
authors: Z
authors: Ding
authors: Junpeng
authors: J
authors: Wang
authors: Xiao
authors: X
authors: Wang
authors: Yating
authors: Y
authors: Cheng
authors: Youmin
authors: Y
authors: Kang
authors: Bin
authors: B
authors: Wang
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D019013:CD40 Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D007109:Immunity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D056724:Immunity, Humoral / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D014611:Vaccination; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000906:Antibodies; D000941:Antigens; D019013:CD40 Antigens; D016207:Cytokines; D019444:Vaccines, DNA