可经粘膜途径递送DNA疫苗的减毒伤寒沙门菌载体的研究进展

DNA疫苗的本质是在哺乳动物细胞内表达重组蛋白抗原的质粒DNA,DNA疫苗能刺激机体产生体液及细胞免疫,有效的DNA疫苗载体可向细胞内高效传送质粒DNA.伤寒沙门菌是细胞内寄生菌,可通过黏膜途径感染,穿过黏膜上皮细胞屏障侵入黏膜相关淋巴组织(MALT),被MALT内专职抗原递呈细胞(APC)吞噬,并可在细胞吞噬泡内存活和增殖,同时细菌本身的病原相关分子模式(PAMP)是天然佐剂,因此可诱导机体产生有效的系统和局部经黏膜免疫应答,是极有发展潜力的经黏膜途径递送DNA疫苗的载体.     

轮状病毒脂质体DNA疫苗体内诱导免疫应答研究

目的:通过对轮状病毒脂质体DNA疫苗体内免疫应答研究,寻找轮状病毒DNA疫苗理想的免疫佐剂.方法:脂质体包被的轮状病毒基因疫苗pcDNA1/VP7及裸DNA经肌肉注射及鼻粘膜两种途径免疫BALB/c小鼠,利用ELISA方法对其诱导产生的体液免疫应答进行测定.结果:经裸DNA及脂质体包被的质粒DNA免疫小鼠后,滴鼻组和肌注组血清特异性IgG水平较对照组明显升高.值得注意的是,脂质体包被的质粒DNA经肌注接种后血清特异性IgA水平也较对照组明显升高,而其余各实验组均未能诱导血清特异性IgA水平的升高.结论:脂质体在DNA接种中不仅作为质粒DNA疫苗的载体,而且起到免疫佐剂的作用.经该脂质体包被的质粒DNA免疫小鼠后,肌注组血清IgA水平较对照组明显升高,提示该脂质体包被的DNA经肌肉注射途径接种可能对机体产生免疫保护.     

基于非病毒载体的mRNA疫苗递送系统研究进展

mRNA疫苗是一类新型核酸疫苗。它具有通用性、开发迅速以及制造成本低等优点,目前已被广泛用于传染性疾病防治和癌症治疗的研究。但mRNA在体内的不稳定性和低表达限制其在临床的应用,因此开发出能高效转染mRNA的递送载体十分关键。目前的基因递送载体分为病毒载体和非病毒载体。本文对现有递送mRNA的非病毒载体进行综述,并对mRNA疫苗及其非病毒载体的研究前景进行展望。     

基于纳米递送系统的肿瘤免疫治疗研究进展

近年来,肿瘤免疫治疗发展迅速,相较于其他传统肿瘤治疗方法具有显著优势.肿瘤免疫治疗是通过调动或激发机体自身的免疫功能,从而抑制和杀伤肿瘤细胞.随着纳米技术的发展,生物纳米载体材料为疫苗的开发提供了全新的思路.纳米疫苗是基于纳米技术开发的治疗性或预防性疫苗,大多数肿瘤疫苗包括诱导免疫应答的外源性抗原、递送抗原的载体以及增强免疫原性并加速和延长肿瘤疫苗效果的佐剂.纳米递送载体具有良好的生物相容性和独特的理化性质,能够有效地递送各种抗原,通过调控抗原在抗原提呈细胞内的呈递途径,在激发机体的体液免疫基础上,可以进一步激活抗原特异性的细胞免疫反应.旨在对纳米递送体系在肿瘤疫苗研究中的应用作一综述.     

口服免疫Ag85A脂质体DNA诱导T细胞亚群应答效应研究

目的:拟采用构建的可在真核细胞内表达Ag85A基因的质粒,以阳离子脂质体为运载体,制成DNA疫苗,经口途径投予小鼠,以观察Ag85A脂质体DNA疫苗诱导免疫应答效应,为口服DNA疫苗的临床应用提供理论和实验依据.方法:ELISA方法检测Ag85A特异性抗体产生水平及血清Th1型细胞因子IFN-γ及Th2型细胞因子IL-4的分泌水平,ELISPOT技术检测口服DNA疫苗后小鼠可分泌IFN-γ和IL-4脾淋巴细胞数量.流式细胞术观察口服DNA疫苗后小鼠脾淋巴细胞CD4+T细胞及CD8+T细胞亚群的变化,从而判断口服DNA疫苗的免疫效果及脂质体是否有免疫增强作用.结果:口服自制Ag85ADNA疫苗可见血清中抗Ag85A特异性抗体的产生;下调了脾CD4+T细胞和CD8+T细胞亚群的数量;分泌IFN-γ的Th1型细胞比率和血清中的IFN-γ水平下降,而分泌IL-4的Th2型细胞比率和血清中的IL-4水平升高.口服DNA疫苗组诱导Ag85A特异性抗体产生,脂质体具有免疫佐剂作用.结论:应用阳离子脂质体为运载体,重组Ag85A DNA疫苗口服免疫C57BL/6小鼠,诱导了CD4+及CD8+T细胞亚群的下调及IFN-γ的表达减少,而玎IL-4的分泌呈增高趋势;疫苗可诱导Ag85A特异性抗体的分泌,产生了明显的体液应答.     

复制子荧光素酶表达质粒pSVK-luc的构建与应用

目的 为研究复制子DNA疫苗在生物活体内的表达情况,构建含有荧光素酶报告基因的复制子表达质粒pSVK-luc.方法 PCR扩增荧光素酶报告基因,克隆入DNA复制子载体pSVK,酶切鉴定和测序分析筛选阳性重组质粒pSVK-luc;化学法转染人胚肾293T细胞,流式细胞术和免疫荧光法检测荧光素酶基因在293T细胞中的表达;利用基因电穿孔导入仪递送重组质粒至BALB/c小鼠股四头肌,活体成像仪动态观测荧光素酶基因在小鼠体内的表达.结果 pSVK-luc经相应酶切和测序鉴定,与预期设计完全一致.流式细胞术和免疫荧光检测均可见荧光素酶基因表达;同时活体成像仪也能检测到该基因在小鼠体内的表达.结论 pSVK-luc表达质粒的构建成功将为复制子DNA疫苗体内作用机制研究和体内电穿孔递送条件的优化奠定实验基础.     

乙肝DNA疫苗

DNA疫苗可以诱导长期的体液及细胞免疫,打破免疫耐受,作为未来治疗病毒、胞内菌、寄生虫等病原体感染及肿瘤的工具已进行了大量研究.本文就慢性乙型肝炎DNA疫苗的研究进行了总结,主要描述了二十一世纪以后乙肝DNA疫苗的发展.     

DNA疫苗的运送载体——减毒霍乱沙门氏菌

霍乱沙门氏菌是人兽共患病原菌,遗传背景清楚,利用它作为载体表达外源抗原基因已得到较广泛的研究并取得了一定的效果。本文从沙门氏菌的侵入途径、减毒重组菌对基因疫苗的呈递及诱发免疫应答的机制、作为载体的优势以及免疫存在的问题等方面就减毒霍乱沙门氏菌作为运送DNA疫苗的载体作简要概述。     

脂质体疫苗在抗感染免疫中的应用

脂质体是脂质双分子层组成的囊泡结构,包裹的可溶性药物在体内可释放,具有无毒性和生物可降解性等优点.脂质体可将亚单位疫苗或核酸疫苗转运入细胞,同时具有佐剂功能,提高机体体液免疫应答和细胞免疫应答.因而在抗感染免疫研究中,脂质体作为表位疫苗、亚单位疫苗和核酸疫苗的载体和佐剂的应用越趋成熟.     

壳聚糖脂质体复合载体的核酸递送

目的构建一种由脂质体Lipofectamine2000、低分子质量壳聚糖、pDNA组成的三元新型复合载体用于核酸递送能力研究。方法复合物形态采用原子力显微镜轻敲模式下表征、载体与核酸结合能力采用凝胶延滞法表征,Hep-2细胞报告基因表达利用倒置荧光显微镜检测。细胞毒性研究采用3-甲基-2-噻唑硫酮(MTT)法。结果复合载体与pDNA结合能力强,可完全延滞pDNA。脂质体/壳聚糖/pDNA复合载体形态呈现出未完全压缩的球形,短棒状和不规则的聚集块。新型载体转染Hep-2细胞提高了绿色荧光蛋白报告基因的表达效率。与脂质体对照载体比较,基因转染效率提高了2～4倍,对照壳聚糖载体无明显转染效果。细胞毒性表明壳聚糖降低了脂质体的细胞毒性。结论基于脂质体的壳聚糖新型复合载体具有核酸递送潜力。     

Cationic liposomes as vaccine adjuvants

The application of cationic liposomes as vaccine delivery systems and adjuvants has been investigated extensively over the last few decades. However, cationic liposomes are, in general, not sufficiently immunostimulatory, which is why the combination of liposomes with immunostimulating ligands has arisen as a strategy in the development of novel adjuvant systems. Within the last 5 years, two novel adjuvant systems based on cationic liposomes incorporating Toll-like receptor or non-Toll-like receptor immunostimulating ligands have progressed from preclinical testing in smaller animal species to clinical testing in humans. The immune responses that these clinical candidates induce are primarily of the Th1 type for which there is a profound unmet need. Furthermore, a number of new cationic liposome-forming surfactants with notable immunostimulatory properties have been discovered. In this article we review the recent progress on the application of cationic liposomes as vaccine delivery systems/adjuvants.     

Molecular therapeutics of HBV

The hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a public health problem worldwide, particularly in East Asia. The current therapy of HBV infection is mostly based on chemical agents and cytokines that have been shown to provide limited efficacy and are also toxic to the human body. Gene therapy is a new therapeutic strategy against HBV infection, involving the transmission of gene drugs into liver cells by specific delivery systems and methods. Although this new anti-HBV infection technique is under active investigation, various promising anti-HBV viral gene drugs have been developed for gene therapy, including antisense RNA and DNA, hammerhead ribozymes, dominant negative HBV core mutants, single chain antibody, co-nuclease fusion protein, and antigen. In order to optimize their antiviral effects and/or enhance anti-HBV immunity, various novel gene delivery systems have also been developed to (specifically) deliver such DNA constructs into liver cells; some of them are viral vectors, such as adenoviral vectors, retroviral vectors and poxviral vectors, and even hepatitis B viral for its hepatocellular specificity. Others are non-viral vectors, in which naked DNA and liposomes are frequently used for DNA vaccine or nucleotide analogs for inhibiting HBV DNA polymerase. This review addresses various aspects of gene therapy for HBV infection, including gene drugs, delivery methods, animal model, and liver transplantation with combination therapy. It also discusses the problems that remain to be solved.     

Development of an antigen-presenting cell-targeted DNA vaccine against melanoma by mannosylated liposomes

As part of our research involving the targeted delivery of plasmid DNA (pDNA) to antigen-presenting cells (APCs), we developed mannosylated cationic liposomes: N-[1-(2,3-dioleyloxy)propyl]-N,N,N-trimethylammonium chloride (DOTMA)/cholesten-5-yloxy-N-(4-((1-imino-2-D-thiomannosyl-ethyl)amino)butyl)formamide (Man-C4-Chol)/Chol (Man liposomes). In this study, we used melanoma-associated antigen expressing pDNA; pUb-M and Man liposomes to create a novel APC-targeted DNA vaccine against melanoma and examined its potency by measuring the Ub-M mRNA expression in splenic dendritic cells and macrophages, the cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) activity against melanoma B16BL6 cells and the melanoma B16BL6-specific anti-tumor effect after intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration. We verified that Man lipoplex induces significantly higher pUb-M gene transfection into dendritic cells and macrophages than unmodified lipoplex and naked DNA and it also strongly induces CTL activity against melanoma, inhibits its growth and prolongs the survival after tumor challenge compared with unmodified liposomes and the standard method (naked pDNA, intramuscular (i.m.)). These results demonstrate that Man liposomes are a potent APCs-targeted vector that induce strong immunopotency of DNA vaccine against melanoma.     

Electroporation delivery of DNA vaccines: prospects for success

A number of noteworthy technology advances in DNA vaccines research and development over the past few years have led to the resurgence of this field as a viable vaccine modality. Notably, these include--optimization of DNA constructs; development of new DNA manufacturing processes and formulations; augmentation of immune responses with novel encoded molecular adjuvants; and the improvement in new in vivo delivery strategies including electroporation (EP). Of these, EP mediated delivery has generated considerable enthusiasm and appears to have had a great impact in vaccine immunogenicity and efficacy by increasing antigen delivery upto a 1000 fold over naked DNA delivery alone. This increased delivery has resulted in an improved in vivo immune response magnitude as well as response rates relative to DNA delivery by direct injection alone. Indeed the immune responses and protection from pathogen challenge observed following DNA administration via EP in many cases are comparable or superior to other well studied vaccine platforms including viral vectors and live/attenuated/inactivated virus vaccines. Significantly, the early promise of EP delivery shown in numerous pre-clinical animal models of many different infectious diseases and cancer are now translating into equally enhanced immune responses in human clinical trials making the prospects for this vaccine approach to impact diverse disease targets tangible.     

Microparticles as vaccine adjuvants and delivery systems

Adjuvants can be broadly divided into two groups, based on their principal mechanisms of action: vaccine delivery systems and immunostimulatory adjuvants. Vaccine delivery systems are generally particulate (e.g., emulsions, microparticles, immunostimulatory complexes and liposomes) and function mainly to target associated antigens into antigen-presenting cells. However, increasingly, more complex formulations are being developed in which delivery systems are exploited both for the delivery of antigens and also for the delivery of coadministered immunostimulatory adjuvants. The rationale for this approach is to ensure that both antigen and adjuvant are delivered into the same population of antigen-presenting cells. In addition, delivery systems can focus the effect of the adjuvants onto the key cells of the immune system and limit the systemic distribution of the adjuvant, to minimize its potential to induce adverse effects. The formulation and delivery of potent adjuvants in microparticles may allow the development of prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines against cancers and chronic infectious diseases, which are currently poorly controlled. In addition, microparticle formulations may also allow vaccines to be delivered mucosally.     

Antigen delivery systems

Many vaccine candidates are highly purified, sometimes monomeric antigens and as a result, not very immunogenic. Antigen delivery systems optimize the presentation of antigens. They also play a major role in solving the problem of there being an increasing number of vaccines but limited opportunities in which to include these vaccines in immunization programs. The number of injections is restricted and combining vaccines may lead to immunological and physicochemical incompatibility. In this review, the current status with respect to parenteral and mucosal delivery systems is discussed. These include lipid-based systems such as liposomes and immunostimulating complexes, as well as polymeric microspheres. In addition, developments in needle-free, dermal delivery devices such as jet injectors, microneedles and patches are presented.     

Engineering of cytomegalovirus genomes for recombinant live herpesvirus vaccines

The advances of sequence knowledge and genetic engineering hold a great promise for a rational approach to vaccine development. Herpesviruses are important pathogens of all vertebrates. They cause acute and chronic infections and persist in their hosts for life. In man there are eight herpesviruses known and most of them can be linked to diseases. To date only one licensed vaccine against a human herpesvirus exists and there is no proven successful concept on rational design for herpesvirus vaccines available. Here, we use new reverse genetic systems, based on the 230-kb mouse cytomegalovirus genome to explore new methods of vaccine delivery and of virus attenuation. With regard to virus delivery, we show that the bacterial transfer of the infectious DNA in vivo is theoretically possible but not yet a practical option. With regard to a rational approach of virus attenuation, we consider a selective deletion of viral genes that modulate the immune response of the host.     

The effect of conjugation to gold nanoparticles on the ability of low molecular weight chitosan to transfer DNA vaccine

Nonviral gene delivery systems based on conventional high molecular weight chitosans are efficient as DNA vaccine delivery system, but have poor physical properties such as aggregated shapes, low solubility at neutral pH, high viscosity at concentrations used for in vivo delivery and a slow onset of action. Furthermore, Chitosan oligomers shorter than 14 monomers units were recently found to form only weak complexes with DNA, resulting in physically unstable polyplexes in vitro and in vivo. Here, low molecular weight chitosans with an average molecular mass of 6kDa (Chito6) have been covalently attached to gold nanoparticles (GNPs), and the potency of the resulting Chito6-GNPs conjugates as vectors for the delivery of plasmid DNA has been investigated in vitro and in vivo. After delivery by intramuscular immunization in BALB/c mice, the Chito6-GNPs conjugates induced an enhanced serum antibody response 10 times more potent than naked DNA vaccine. Additionally, in contrast to naked DNA, the Chito6-GNPs conjugates induced potent cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses at a low dose.     

Technological advances to increase immunogenicity of DNA vaccines

The latest clinical data obtained with DNA vaccines against HIV and malaria have shown promise, but it is clear that when DNA vaccines are compared with other vaccine vector delivery systems, there is still room for improvement. Further development is more than possible, based on the wealth of information accumulating on methods and approaches to increase immunogenicity of DNA vaccines. Thus, the goal of this review is to summarize some of the latest technological advances to increase immunogenicity of DNA vaccines administered by the im. and id. routes. By means of examples, the review will be intended to focus only on recent developments reported in the last 2 years and likely to go towards the improvement of mucosal, humoral and cellular immune responses mostly against cancer and infectious disease antigens.     

Chlamydia vaccines: recent developments and the role of adjuvants in future formulations

Bacteria of the genus Chlamydia cause a plethora of ocular, genital and respiratory diseases that continue to pose a considerable public health challenge worldwide. The major diseases are conjunctivitis and blinding trachoma, non-gonococcal urethritis, cervicitis, pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy, tubal factor infertility and interstitial pneumonia. The rampart asymptomatic infections prevent timely and effective antibiotic treatments, and quite often clinical presentation of sequelae is the first evidence of an infection. Besides, significant broad coverage in population screening and treatment is economically and logistically impractical, and mass education for public awareness has been ineffective. The current medical opinion is that an efficacious prophylactic vaccine is the best approach to protect humans from chlamydial infections. Unfortunately, a human vaccine has yet to be realized despite successful veterinary vaccines. Fortunately, recent advances in chlamydial immunobiology, cell biology, molecular pathogenesis, genomics, antigen discovery and animal models of infections are hastening progress toward an efficacious vaccine. Thus, it is established that Chlamydia immunity is mediated by T cells and a complementary antibody response, and several potential vaccine candidates have been identified. However, further advances are needed in effective vaccine delivery systems and safe potent adjuvants to boost and sustain immune responses for long-lasting protective immunity. This article focuses on the current status of human chlamydial vaccine research, specifically how application of new delivery systems and human compatible adjuvants could lead to a timely achievement of efficacious Chlamydia vaccines. The ranking of the candidate vaccine antigens for human vaccine development will await the availability of results from studies in which the antigens are tested by comparable experimental standards, such as antigen-adjuvant combination, route of delivery and possible toxicity.