title: DNA vaccination in the skin using microneedles improves protection against influenza.
abstract: In this study, we tested the hypothesis that DNA vaccination in the skin using microneedles improves protective immunity compared to conventional intramuscular (i.m.) injection of a plasmid DNA vaccine encoding the influenza hemagglutinin (HA). In vivo fluorescence imaging demonstrated the expression of a reporter gene delivered to the skin using a solid microneedle patch coated with plasmid DNA. Vaccination at a low dose (3 µg HA DNA) using microneedles generated significantly stronger humoral immune responses and better protective responses post-challenge compared to i.m. vaccination at either low or high (10 µg HA DNA) dose. Vaccination using microneedles at a high (10 µg) dose further generated improved post-challenge protection, as measured by survival, recall antibody-secreting cell responses in spleen and bone marrow, and interferon (IFN)-γ cytokine T-cell responses. This study demonstrates that DNA vaccination in the skin using microneedles induces higher humoral and cellular immune responses as well as improves protective immunity compared to conventional i.m. injection of HA DNA vaccine.
authors.affiliation: Center for Inflammation, Immunity & Infection, and Department of Biology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia 30303, USA.
authors.forename: Jae-Min
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Yeu-Chun
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Eunju
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: O
authors.forename: Richard W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Compans
authors.forename: Mark R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Prausnitz
authors.forename: Sang-Moo
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Kang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D019267:Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D056724:Immunity, Humoral; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000276:immunology*; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology*; D007271:Injections, Intradermal; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009339:Needles; D009976:Orthomyxoviridae Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014611:Vaccination / Q000379:methods*; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D019267:Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus; D007252:Influenza Vaccines; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D007371:Interferon-gamma