DNA immunization: A powerful tool to prime protective antibody responses for vaccine developmentGCOE Program Seminar(Global Education Seminar)

It has been almost 20 years since the formal introduction of DNA immunization. After the initial excitement to this novel in vivo gene-transferring concept, it was soon realized that the immune responses that can be detected in humans after DNA vaccination were too low to be functional in protecting against invading infectious diseases. Since then, progress has been made in improving the efficacy of DNA vaccines through the addition of various components, including molecular adjuvants (e.g., cytokine genes co-delivered with DNA vaccines) and physical delivery tools (e.g., gene gun and electroporation). The most exciting recent discovery is the unusual potential of DNA vaccines to PRIME the host immune system, especially the critical antigen-specific B cell development, to produce high quality protective antibody responses. This finding was important in guiding us towards the induction of cross-subtype neutralizing antibodies in our DNA prime-protein boost HIV vaccine studies in both animal and humans, and for the elicitation of high-level protective immunity against both seasonal and avian influenza when the DNA prime and inactivated or live attenuated flu vaccine boost approach was tested in pivotal animal models. These studies open a new pathway for the adoption of DNA immunization as a vital tool in developing future generations of vaccines to promote global health.