Efficacy of seasonal pandemic influenza hemagglutinin DNA vaccines delivered by electroporation against aseasonal H1N1 virus challenge in mice

• Published in: Science China. Life sciences 2011-04, Vol.54 (4), p.293-299
• Main Authors: Tan, Lei, Lu, HuiJun, Zhang, Dan, Wang, KaiYan, Tian, MingYao, Liu, CunXia, LiU, YanYu, Hu, Bo, Jin, NingYi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biomedical and Life Sciences; Cover Article; Influenza virus; Life Sciences; Pandemics
• ISSN: 1674-7305; 1869-1889
• DOI: 10.1007/s11427-011-4150-5

Prophylactic DNA vaccines against the influenza virus are promising alternatives to conventional vaccines. In this study, we generated two candidate gene-based influenza vaccines encoding either the seasonal or pandemic hemagglutinin antigen (HA) from the strains A/New Caledonia/20/99 (H1N1) (pV1A5) and A/California/04/2009 (H1N1) (pVEH1), respectively. After verifying antigen expression, the immunogenicity of the vaccines delivered intramuscularly with electroporation was tested in a mouse model. Sera of immunized animals were tested in hemagglutination inhibition assays and by ELISA for the presence of HA-specific antibodies. HA-specific T-cells were also measured in IFN-γ ELISpot assays. The protective efficacy of the candidate influenza vaccines was evaluated by measuring mortality rates and body weight after a challenge with 100 LD 50 of mouse-adapted A/New Caledonia/20/99 (H1N1). Mice immunized with either one of the two vaccines showed significantly higher T cell and humoral immune responses ( P