Peptide vaccination is superior to genetic vaccination using a recombineered bacteriophage λ subunit vaccine.
Genetic immunization holds promise as a vaccination method, but has so far proven ineffective in large primate and human trials. Herein, we examined the relative merits of genetic immunization and peptide immunization using bacteriophage λ. Bacteriophage λ has proven effective in immune challenge models using both immunization methods, but there has never been a direct comparison of efficacy and of the quality of immune response. In the current study, this vector was produced using a combination of cis and trans phage display. When antibody titers were measured from immunized animals together with IL-2, IL-4 and IFNγ production from splenocytes in vitro, we found that proteins displayed on λ were superior at eliciting an immune response in comparison to genetic immunization with λ. We also found that the antibodies produced in response to immunization with λ displayed proteins bound more epitopes than those produced in response to genetic immunization. Finally, the general immune response to λ inoculation, whether peptide or genetic, was dominated by a Th1 response, as determined by IFNγ and IL-4 concentration, or by a higher concentration of IgG2a antibodies.
Southern Alberta Cancer Research Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada. brad.thomas@ualberta.ca
Brad S
BS
Thomas
Sandra
S
Nishikawa
Kenichi
K
Ito
Puja
P
Chopra
Navneet
N
Sharma
David H
DH
Evans
D Lorne J
DL
Tyrrell
Oliver F
OF
Bathe
Derrick E
DE
Rancourt
D000818:Animals; D010582:Bacteriophage lambda / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D004337:Drug Carriers; D005260:Female; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D022223:Vaccines, Subunit / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
D004337:Drug Carriers; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D022223:Vaccines, Subunit; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic; D014765:Viral Vaccines; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins