vaxfectin and Disease-Models--Animal

A prototype dengue-1 DNA vaccine was shown to be safe and immunogenic in a previous Phase 1 clinical trial. Anti-dengue-1 neutralizing antibody responses were detectable only in the group of volunteers receiving the high dose of nonadjuvanted vaccine and the antibody titers were low. Vaxfectin(®), a lipid-based adjuvant, enhances the immunogenicity of DNA vaccines. We conducted a nonhuman primate study to evaluate the effect of Vaxfectin(®) on the immunogenicity of a tetravalent dengue DNA vaccine. Animals were immunized on days 0, 28 and 84, with each immunization consisting of 3mg of Vaxfectin(®)-adjuvanted tetravalent dengue DNA vaccine. The use of Vaxfectin(®) resulted in a significant increase in anti-dengue neutralizing antibody responses against dengue-1, -3 and -4. There was little to no effect on T cell responses as measured by interferon gamma ELISPOT assay. Animals immunized with the Vaxfectin(®)-formulated tetravalent DNA vaccine showed significant protection against live dengue-2 virus challenge compared to control animals (0.75 mean days of viremia vs 3.3 days). Animals vaccinated with nonadjuvanted DNA had a mean 2.0 days of viremia. These results support further evaluation of the Vaxfectin(®)-adjuvanted tetravalent dengue DNA vaccine in a Phase 1 clinical trial.

Topics: Adjuvants, Immunologic; Animals; Antibodies, Neutralizing; Antibodies, Viral; Dengue; Dengue Vaccines; Disease Models, Animal; Enzyme-Linked Immunospot Assay; Macaca mulatta; Phosphatidylethanolamines; Primate Diseases; Primates; T-Lymphocytes; Vaccines, DNA; Viremia

Here we describe studies in the guinea pig model of genital herpes to evaluate a novel plasmid DNA (pDNA) vaccine encoding the HSV-2 glycoprotein D and UL46 and UL47 genes encoding tegument proteins VP11/12 and VP 13/14 (gD2/UL46/UL47), formulated with a cationic lipid-based adjuvant Vaxfectin(®). Prophylactic immunization with Vaxfectin(®)-gD2/UL46/UL47 significantly reduced viral replication in the genital tract, provided complete protection against both primary and recurrent genital skin disease following intravaginal HSV-2 challenge, and significantly reduced latent HSV-2 DNA in the dorsal root ganglia compared to controls. We also examined the impact of therapeutic immunization of HSV-2 infected animals. Here, Vaxfectin(®)-gD2/UL46/UL47 immunization significantly reduced both the frequency of recurrent disease and viral shedding into the genital tract compared to controls. This novel adjuvanted pDNA vaccine has demonstrated both prophylactic and therapeutic efficacy in the guinea pig model of genital herpes and warrants further development.

Topics: Adjuvants, Immunologic; Animals; Disease Models, Animal; Ganglia, Spinal; Guinea Pigs; Herpes Genitalis; Herpesvirus 2, Human; Herpesvirus Vaccines; Phosphatidylethanolamines; Plasmids; Skin; Vaccines, DNA; Viral Envelope Proteins; Viral Proteins