What We Learned about the Feasibility of Gene Electrotransfer for Vaccination on a Model of COVID-19 Vaccine

What We Learned about the Feasibility of Gene Electrotransfer for Vaccination on a Model of COVID-19 Vaccine

DNA vaccination is one of the emerging approaches for a wide range of applications, including prophylactic vaccination against infectious diseases and therapeutic vaccination against cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of our previously optimized protocols for gene electrot...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Pharmaceutics Vol. 15; no. 7; p. 1981
Main Authors: Kamensek, Urska, Cemazar, Maja, Kranjc Brezar, Simona, Jesenko, Tanja, Kos, Spela, Znidar, Katarina, Markelc, Bostjan, Modic, Ziva, Komel, Tilen, Gorse, Tim, Rebersek, Eva, Jakopic, Helena, Sersa, Gregor
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 01-07-2023
MDPI
Subjects:
Analysis
Antigens
Cancer vaccines
Cell culture
Clinical trials
COVID-19 vaccine
COVID-19 vaccines
DNA vaccination
Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid
gene electrotransfer
Genes
Health aspects
immunological adjuvant
Immunology
Infectious diseases
interleukin 12
Nanoparticles
Pandemics
Plasmids
Protein expression
Proteins
Scientific equipment and supplies industry
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
Skin
Vaccination
Vectors (Biology)
United States
United Kingdom
Slovenia
United States > US
Germany
interleukin 12
COVID-19 vaccine
gene electrotransfer
DNA vaccination
immunological adjuvant
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Summary:DNA vaccination is one of the emerging approaches for a wide range of applications, including prophylactic vaccination against infectious diseases and therapeutic vaccination against cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of our previously optimized protocols for gene electrotransfer (GET)-mediated delivery of plasmid DNA into skin and muscle tissues on a model of COVID-19 vaccine. Plasmids encoding the SARS-CoV-2 proteins spike (S) and nucleocapsid (N) were used as the antigen source, and a plasmid encoding interleukin 12 (IL-12) was used as an adjuvant. Vaccination was performed in the skin or muscle tissue of C57BL/6J mice on days 0 and 14 (boost). Two weeks after the boost, blood, spleen, and transfected tissues were collected to determine the expression of S, N, IL-12, serum interferon-γ, the induction of antigen-specific IgG antibodies, and cytotoxic T-cells. In accordance with prior in vitro experiments that indicated problems with proper expression of the S protein, vaccination with S did not induce S-specific antibodies, whereas significant induction of N-specific antibodies was detected after vaccination with N. Intramuscular vaccination outperformed skin vaccination and resulted in significant induction of humoral and cell-mediated immunity. Moreover, both boost and adjuvant were found to be redundant for the induction of an immune response. Overall, the study confirmed the feasibility of the GET for DNA vaccination and provided valuable insights into this approach.
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ISSN:1999-4923
1999-4923
DOI:10.3390/pharmaceutics15071981