Protective Efficacy of Hepatitis E Virus DNA Vaccine Administered by Gene Gun in the Cynomolgus Macaque Model of Infection

• Published in: The Journal of infectious diseases Vol. 189; no. 2; pp. 258 - 264
• Main Authors: Kamili, Saleem, Spelbring, John, Carson, Dorrie, Krawczynski, Krzysztof
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chicago, IL The University of Chicago Press 15-01-2004; University of Chicago Press; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Animals; Biolistics - methods; Biological and medical sciences; Disease Models, Animal; DNA; DNA vaccines; Dosage; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Guns; Hepatitis Antibodies - blood; Hepatitis E; Hepatitis E - prevention & control; Hepatitis E virus; Hepatitis E virus - genetics; Hepatitis E virus - immunology; Infections; Infectious diseases; Macaca; Medical sciences; Microbiology; Miscellaneous; Plasmids; RNA; Vaccination; Vaccines, DNA - immunology; Viral Hepatitis Vaccines - immunology; Virology; Viruses; Virus; Infection; Calicivirus; Gene; Microbiology; Caliciviridae; Models; Genetic vaccine; Hepatitis E virus
• ISSN: 0022-1899; 1537-6613
• DOI: 10.1086/380801

The protective efficacy of a DNA vaccine against hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection was tested in cynomolgus macaques (cynos) vaccinated with a plasmid containing a full-length HEV open-reading frame 2 (ORF2) sequence (Burmese strain) and subsequently challenged with a heterologous strain of HEV (Mexican strain). Cynos administered vaccine by gene gun developed antibodies to HEV (anti-HEV), whereas cynos administered vaccine by intradermal injections and cynos administered a mock DNA construct did not develop anti-HEV. Anti-HEV–positive cynos were protected from HEV infection after challenge with an inoculum that produced infection in the anti-HEV–negative cynos. These results indicate that DNA vaccine with HEV ORF2 administered by gene gun is protective against a heterologous viral challenge