An effective DNA priming-protein boosting approach for the cervical cancer vaccination

• Published in: Pathogens and disease 2015-03, Vol.73 (2), p.1-8
• Main Authors: Kianmehr, Zahra, Ardestani, Susan K., Soleimanjahi, Hoorieh, Farahmand, Behrokh, Abdoli, Asghar, Khatami, Maryam, Akbari, Khadijeh, Fotouhi, Fatemeh
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Antibodies, Viral - blood; Capsid Proteins - genetics; Capsid Proteins - immunology; Cervical cancer; Cytokines - secretion; Deoxyribonucleic acid; Developing countries; DNA; Female; Immune response; Immunization; Immunogenicity; Immunoglobulin G - blood; LDCs; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Oncogene Proteins, Viral - genetics; Oncogene Proteins, Viral - immunology; Papillomavirus Vaccines - administration & dosage; Papillomavirus Vaccines - immunology; T-Lymphocytes - immunology; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms - immunology; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms - prevention & control; Vaccination - methods; Vaccines; Vaccines, DNA - administration & dosage; Vaccines, DNA - immunology; Vaccines, Subunit - administration & dosage; Vaccines, Subunit - immunology; Vaccines, Synthetic - administration & dosage; Vaccines, Synthetic - immunology; Vaccines, Virus-Like Particle - administration & dosage; Vaccines, Virus-Like Particle - immunology
• ISSN: 2049-632X; 2049-632X
• DOI: 10.1093/femspd/ftu012

Considerable advances have been made in developing human papillomaviruses (HPV) prophylactic vaccines based on L1 virus-like particles (VLPs). However, there are limitations in the availability of these vaccines in developing countries, where most cases of cervical cancer occur. In the current study, the prime-boost immunization strategies were studied using a DNA vaccine carrying HPV-16 L1 gene (pcDNA/L1) and insect cell baculovirus-derived HPV-16 L1 VLP. The humoral immunity was evaluated by measuring the specific IgG levels, and the T-cell immune response was assessed by measuring different cytokines such as IFN-γ, TNF-α and IL-10. Results showed that although immunization with pcDNA/L1 alone could induce strong cellular immune responses, higher immunogenicity especially antibody response was achieved in pcDNA/L1 priming-VLP boosting regimen. Therefore, we suggest that prime-boost regimen can be considered as an efficient prophylactic and therapeutic vaccine. Immunogenicity enhancement of an HPV-16 L1 DNA vaccine using DNA priming - L1 VLP protein boosting.