Epitope-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte induction by A Novel DNA Fusion Vaccine

概要

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DNA vaccines encoding entire viral protein often induce humoral and cytotoxic immune response, and in viral infections such as influenza and HIV, CD8^+ CTL plays an important role in the clearance of existing infection. A plasmid DNA that encoded the entire M protein of influenza, induced M-specific CTL response, and showed cross-reactive protection against a lethal challenge of influenza A virus was shown in our previous study. However, the DNA vaccine encoding the entire nucleoprotein (NP) showed less satisfactory results in CTL assays and in a challenge study than the DNA vaccine encoding M protein. In this study, we have examined a strategy to elicit epitope-specific CTL responses using a DNA construct expressing a known minimal class I MHC-restricted epitope of the nucleoprotein (NP_<147-155>) of influenza virus. Since the inclusion of a "foreign" protein increases immunogenicity, we fused this epitope to the C-terminal of first domain (DOM) of fragment C (FrC) of tetanus toxin (TT). After immunization for three times via the intranasal route, NP specific CTL was assayed. This DNA fusion vaccine encoding NP147-155 fused to DOM of TT induced NP-specific CTL. Our data indicate that a DNA vaccine encoding a single CTL epitope fused to a foreign antigen such as tetanus toxin could be a suitable vaccine candidate.
横浜市立大学の論文
2005-01-31