Elanchezhiyan Manickan

Enhancement of immune response to naked DNA vaccine by immunization with transfected dendritic cells.

Immunization with plasmid DNA encoding various proteins promises to be a valuable vaccine approach especially if its immunogenicity could be optimized. In this study we show that the intramuscular delivery in dendritic cells (DC) of naked plasmid DNA encoding two proteins of herpes simplex virus (HSV) leads to the induction of significantly enhanced levels of resistance to viral challenge. Whereas DC transfected in vitro with DNA induced enhanced immunity, similarly transfected macrophage (Mɸ) populations lacked immunogenicity even though plasmid expression occurred in vitro. The enhanced immunity induced by DC‐delivered DNA appeared to be associated mainly with an increased Thl CD4+ T cell response. Our results add evidence that DC are the essential antigen‐presenting cell types involved in immune responses to intramuscularly administered DNA vaccines. J. Leukoc. Biol. 61: 125–132; 1997.

DNA immunization of neonates induces immunity despite the presence of maternal antibody.

Neonatal animals were not considered as suitable vaccine recipients either because of immune immaturity or because passively delivered antibody interferes with immune induction. In this report, we evaluated the response of neonatal mice to immunization with naked DNA encoding a herpes simplex virus (HSV) protein, and determined if maternally derived HSV antibody interfered with immunogenicity. Our results show that neonatal mice develop effective humoral and T cell responses after immunization with either DNA or inactivated vaccines. The nature of the responses to HSV immunization, however, was more Th2-like in neonates than in adults. Whereas neonatal mice from HSV-naive mothers responded well to both DNA and inactivated vaccines, only DNA immunization induced effective immunity in neonates born to immune mothers. Our results indicate that DNA vaccines might provide a useful means of immunizing young animals that still possess high levels of potentially interfering maternal antibody.

Role of interferon-gamma in immunity to herpes simplex virus.

Removal of herpes simplex virus (HSV)‐infected cells from peripheral sites such as the skin is mainly an activity of T cells, particularly the CD4+ T subset. Such cells orchestrate an inflammatory response with interferon‐γ (IFN‐γ) appearing to play the essential role in viral clearance. In accordance with this hypothesis, we show that infection of BALB/c background mice expressing the knockout phenotype for IFN‐γ (GKO mice) are significantly more susceptible to the development of cutaneous zosteriform lesions than are wild‐type. However, following HSV immunization, GKO mice become solidly immune to the development of zosteriform lesions. In addition, the transfer of T cells from immune GKO mice to nude mice recipients renders them resistant to zosteriform lesions. Our results are discussed in terms of the major and compensatory mechanisms available to the body to effect immunity to viral infections. J. Leukoc. Biol. 60: 528–532; 1996.

Immune induction and modulation by topical ocular administration of plasmid DNA encoding antigens and cytokines.

In this article, the authors investigated if administration of eukaryotic expression plasmid DNA delivered to the ocular surface provided a means of inducing and modulating the immune response to herpes simplex virus (HSV). Topical application of gB DNA led to the development of HSV specific systemic humoral and cellular immunity. In addition, mucosal antibody was induced at both proximal and distal locations. Topically gB DNA immunized animals were protected against lethal challenge via either the systemic or the vaginal mucosal routes. Ocular pre-exposure to DNA encoding the cytokines interleukin (IL)-4 or IL-10, but not IL-2 or interferon-gamma, modulated the severity of the immunoinflammatory response to subsequent corneal infection with HSV. The present results indicate that the ocular surface provides a readily accessible site for DNA immunization and is suitable for both immune induction and modulation of the nature of the immune response that is induced.

Genetic Immunization of Wild-Type and Hepatitis C Virus Transgenic Mice Reveals a Hierarchy of Cellular Immune Response and Tolerance Induction against Hepatitis C Virus Structural Proteins

ABSTRACT To study the effect of genetic immunization on transgenic expression of hepatitis C virus (HCV) proteins, we evaluated the immunological response of HCV transgenic mice to HCV expression plasmids. FVB/n transgenic mice expressing HCV structural proteins (core, E1, and E2) and wild-type (WT) FVB/n mice were immunized intramuscularly with plasmids expressing core (pHCVcore) or core/E1/E2 (pHCVSt). After immunization, HCV-specific humoral and cellular immune response was studied. Both WT and transgenic mice immunized with either HCV construct produced antibodies and exhibited T-cell proliferative responses against core or envelope. In WT mice immunized with pHCVSt, cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) activities were detected against E2 but not against core or E1, whereas strong CTL activities against core could be detected in WT mice immunized with pHCVcore. In pHCVSt-immunized, transgenic mice, CTL activities against the core or envelope were completely absent, but core-specific CTL activities could be detected in pHCVcore-immunized transgenic mice. A similar pattern of immune responses was also observed in other mouse strains, including a transgenic line expressing human HLA-A2.1 molecules (AAD mice). Despite the presence of a peripheral cellular immunity against HCV, no liver pathology or lymphocytic infiltrate was observed in these transgenic mice. Our study suggests a hierarchy of CTL response against the HCV structural proteins (E2 > core > E1) in vivo when the proteins are expressed as a polyprotein. The HCV transgenic mice can be induced by DNA immunization to generate anti-HCV antibodies and anticore CTLs. However, they are tolerant at the CTL level against the E2 protein despite DNA immunization.

Conditional liver-specific expression of simian virus 40 T antigen leads to regulatable development of hepatic neoplasm in transgenic mice.

Adaptive epigenetic changes and toxicity often accompany constitutive expression of a transgene or knockout of an endogenous gene in mice. These considerations potentially limit the usefulness of transgenic technology in studying the in vivofunctions of a gene. Using conditional gene expression technology, it is possible to override such restrictions to achieve temporal and tissue-specific manipulation of gene expression in vivo. Based on the tetracycline regulatory system, we established a binary transgenic model in which the conditional expression of two transgenes, SV40 T antigen (TAg) and lacZ, can be tightly regulated in the liver by administration of tetracycline. The mouse albumin or mouse major urinary protein promoter was used to achieve liver-specific expression of the tetracycline-responsive transcriptional activator (tTA) in one set of transgenic mice. These mice were crossed with transgenic mice carrying either TAg orlacZ under the control of the tTA-regulated promoter. Analyses of mice transgenic for both tTA and TAg (or lacZ) revealed that the liver-specific expression of the transgenes could be suppressed to undetectable levels and regulated in a reversible fashion by tetracycline administration and withdrawal. Mice with tTA and TAg transgenes developed hepatocellular adenomas and hyperplasia that could be prevented by continuous tetracycline administration. Our report demonstrates the value of this binary transgenic model in studying the physiological functions of any potential genes of interest in a liver-specific manner.

Protection by minigenes: a novel approach of DNA vaccines

To test the principle that genetically engineered epitopes in a plasmid DNA can efficiently induce specific immunity, a minigene cassette encoding cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL), helper T and B cell epitopes from herpes simplex virus (HSV) was constructed and placed in an expression vector named pcMini. Following immunizations with pcMini, mice developed epitope-specific CTLs comparable to the response induced by live HSV. Less effective but detectable antibody, lymphoproliferation, and T cell cytokine responses were also produced. In addition, pcMini-primed mice elicited a recall response upon restimulation with recombinant vaccinia virus expressing HSV antigen. The protection provided by minigene vaccination was significant, although not as efficient as live virus vaccine. The DNA minigene approach may prove useful to define and induce immune responses against minimal antigenic determinants.

DNA vaccines and immunity to herpes simplex virus

Infections by herpes simplex virus (HSV) represent an expensive public health problem. Although only rarely a cause of mortality, HSV infections usually cause painful and often distressing lesions and are particularly troublesome since symptomatic recurrent disease is a common outcome once an individual has been infected. Recurrent lesions on the face and genitalia are the most common expression but in some locations, such as the eye, distressing results such as blindness can occur. As regards HSV infections, in 1985 the Committee on Issues and Priorities for New Vaccine Development of the Institute of Medicine set the following goals: a 50% reduction in symptomatic primary infection, a 75% reduction in the number of recurrences and a 60% reduction in the severity of episodes.

Modulation of virus-induced delayed-type hypersensitivity by plasmid DNA encoding the cytokine interleukin-10.

This report evaluates the efficacy of eukaryotic expression plasmids encoding cytokines at modulating the induction and expression of cutaneous delayed‐type hypersensitivity (DTH) responses to virus infections. Mice given a single intramuscular administration of cytokine DNA were subsequently infected with either herpes simplex virus (HSV) or vaccinia virus, then tested for DTH. Responses in animals given interleukin‐10 DNA were markedly suppressed for at least 5 weeks after pretreatment. Animals also expressed diminished T‐cell proliferative responses and modest changes in the balance of T helper type 1 and 2 T‐cell reactions. Treatment of animals already sensitized to express DTH, also showed inhibited responses, these taking 6–7 days after treatment to become apparent. Our results show the potency and convenience of plasmid DNA encoding cytokines to modulate inflammatory reactions. Advantages and risks of the cytokine DNA approach are briefly discussed.

Photo thermal efficacy of green light emitting diode and gold nano spheres for malignancy

The effect of 30nm Gold Nanoparticles (GNP) based on concentration and incubation time with respect to their cellular uptake kinetics was studied with Vero and HeLa cells . Photoirradiation effect of GNPs in combination with light emitting diode(LED) found to be remarkable and this work concentrates on optimizing concentration and light source. The effect of Gold nanoparticles alone and in combination with LED in malignant and normal cells lines were studied.