title: Enhancement of HIV-1 DNA vaccine immunogenicity by BCG-PSN, a novel adjuvant.
abstract: Although the importance of DNA vaccines, especially as a priming immunization has been well established in numerous HIV vaccine studies, the immunogenictiy of DNA vaccines is generally moderate. Novel adjuvant is in urgent need for improving the immunogenicity of DNA vaccine. Polysaccharide and nucleic acid fraction extracted by hot phenol method from Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guérin, known as BCG-PSN, is a widely used immunomodulatory product in China clinical practice. In this study, we evaluated whether the BCG-PSN could serve as a novel adjuvant of DNA vaccine to trigger better cellular and humoral immune responses against the HIV-1 Env antigen in Balb/C mouse model. The BCG-PSN was mixed with 10 μg or 100 μg of pDRVI1.0gp145 (HIV-1 CN54 gp145 gene) DNA vaccine and intramuscularly immunized two or three times. We found that BCG-PSN could significantly improve the immunogenicity of DNA vaccine when co-administered with DNA vaccine. Further, at the same vaccination schedule, BCG-PSN co-immunization with 10 μg DNA vaccine could elicit cellular and humoral immune responses which were comparable to that induced by 100 μg DNA vaccine alone. Moreover, our results demonstrate that BCG-PSN can activate TLR signaling pathways and induce Th1-type cytokines secretion. These findings suggest that BCG-PSN can serve as a novel and effective adjuvant for DNA vaccination.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Kunming 650118, China. jingzikm@yahoo.com.cn
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Jue
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.forename: Dingfeng
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Ningzhu
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Yanling
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.forename: Jingjing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Yunzhang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Yiming
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shao
mesh_terms: D016915:AIDS Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000818:Animals; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009163:Mycobacterium bovis / Q000737:chemistry*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D014611:Vaccination / Q000379:methods; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D016915:AIDS Vaccines; D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D019444:Vaccines, DNA