title: A comparative approach between heterologous prime-boost vaccination strategy and DNA vaccinations for rabies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Rabies is a widespread neurological zoonotic disease causing significant mortality rates, especially in developing countries. Although a vaccine for rabies is available, its production and scheduling are costly in such countries. Advances in recombinant DNA technology have made it a good candidate for an affordable vaccine. Among the proteins of rabies virus, the Glycoprotein (RVG) has been the major target for new vaccine development which plays the principal role in providing complete protection against RV challenge. The aim of this study is to produce recombinant RVG which could be a DNA vaccine candidate and to evaluate the efficiency of this construct in a prime-boost vaccination regimen, compared to commercial vaccine.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cloning to pcDNA3.1(+) and expression of rabies virus glycoprotein gene in BSR cell  line were performed followed by SDS-PAGE and Western blot analysis of the expressed glycoprotein. The resulting genetic construct was used as a DNA vaccine by injecting 80 µg of the plasmid to MNRI mice twice. Prime-Boost vaccination strategy was performed using 80 µg plasmid construct as prime dose and the second dose of an inactivated rabies virus vaccine. Production of rabies virus neutralizing antibody (RVNA) titers of the serum samples were determined by RFFIT.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In comparisons between heterologous prime-boost vaccination strategy and DNA vaccinations, the potency of group D that received Prime-Boost vaccine with the second dose of pcDNA3.1(+)-Gp was enhanced significantly compared to the group C which had received pcDNA3.1(+)-Gp as first injection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study, RVGP expressing construct was used in a comparative approach between Prime-Boost vaccination strategy and DNA vaccination and compared with the standard method of rabies vaccination. It was concluded that this strategy could lead to induction of acceptable humoral immunity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, School of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran. agholami@pasteur.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Kiandokht
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Borhani
authors.affiliation: 1)Department of Virology, School of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran. 2)Human Rabies Vaccine Laboratory, Production and Research Complex, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ajorloo
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, School of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Taravat
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bamdad
authors.affiliation: 2)Human Rabies Vaccine Laboratory, Production and Research Complex, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran. 3)Department of Virology, Faculty of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Sayed Hamid Reza
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Mozhgani
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, School of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mostafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ghaderi
authors.affiliation: 2)Human Rabies Vaccine Laboratory, Production and Research Complex, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran. 4)WHOCC for Reference and Research on Rabies, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Ali Reza
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Gholami
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D057134:Antibodies, Neutralizing / Q000097:blood; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D007117:Immunization, Secondary; D051379:Mice; D011818:Rabies / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011819:Rabies Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D011820:Rabies virus / Q000276:immunology; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D014611:Vaccination / Q000379:methods*; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D057134:Antibodies, Neutralizing; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D006023:Glycoproteins; D011819:Rabies Vaccines; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; C064951:glycoprotein G, Rabies virus