Immunogenicity of a novel, bivalent, plant-based oral vaccine against hepatitis B and human immunodeficiency viruses

• Published in: Biotechnology letters 2006-07, Vol.28 (13), p.959-967
• Main Authors: Shchelkunov, Sergei N, Salyaev, Rurik K, Pozdnyakov, Sergei G, Rekoslavskaya, Natalia I, Nesterov, Andrei E, Ryzhova, Tatiana S, Sumtsova, Valentina M, Pakova, Natalia V, Mishutina, Uliana O, Kopytina, Tatiana V, Hammond, Rosemarie W
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Administration, Oral; Antibodies; Antibody response; Antigens; DNA biosynthesis; DNA vaccines; Epitopes; Gag protein; Hepatitis; Hepatitis B; Hepatitis B surface antigen; Hepatitis B Vaccines - administration & dosage; Hepatitis B Vaccines - genetics; Hepatitis B Vaccines - metabolism; Hepatitis B virus; Hepatitis B virus - drug effects; Hepatitis B virus - physiology; HIV; Human immunodeficiency virus; Human immunodeficiency virus 1; Immunogenicity; Lycopersicon esculentum; Lycopersicon esculentum - genetics; Lycopersicon esculentum - metabolism; Plant Extracts - administration & dosage; Plant Extracts - immunology; Plants, Genetically Modified; Protein Engineering - methods; Test animals; Tomatoes; Vaccines; Viruses
• ISSN: 0141-5492; 1573-6776
• DOI: 10.1007/s10529-006-9028-4

A synthetic chimeric gene, TBI-HBS, encoding the immunogenic ENV and GAG epitopes of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) and the surface protein antigen (HBsAg) of hepatitis B virus (HBV), was expressed in tomato plants. Tomato fruits containing the TBI-HBS antigen were fed to experimental mice and, on days 14 and 28 post-feeding, high levels of HIV- and HBV-specific antibodies were present in the serum and feces of the test animals. Intraperitoneal injection of a DNA vaccine directing synthesis of the same TBI-HBsAg antigen boosted the antibody response to HIV in the blood serum; however, it had no effect on the high level of antibodies produced to HBV.