Induction of a TH1 type cellular immune response to the human immunodeficiency type 1 virus by in vivo DNA inoculation.

DNA inoculation is capable of producing antigens intracellularly for ultimate presentation to the cellular and humoral components of the immune system and has potential for vaccine strategies against a number of infectious pathogens including HIV-1. It is well documented that the antigenic diversity of HIV-1 and its high level of nucleotide mutations during reverse transcription can lead to escape from immune surveillance. However, data suggest that a CD8-mediated cytotoxic T lymphocyte response may be less susceptible to escape mutants.

Nucleic acid immunization of chimpanzees as a prophylactic/immunotherapeutic vaccination model for HIV-1: prelude to a clinical trial.

Vaccine development strategies have often utilized recombinant envelope glycoproteins which usually generate strong humoral immune responses but which do not generate strong cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL). A recent novel experimental vaccination approach involves the technology known as nucleic acid immunization in which DNA plasmids expressing a gene of interest is injected intramuscularly in experimental animals. These expressed proteins then are presented to the immune system with the subsequent development of strong antibody and cellular (particularly CTL) immune responses.

Mucosal immunization with a DNA vaccine induces immune responses against HIV-1 at a mucosal site.

Mucosal immunity is the first defense system in protection against mucosal infection by sexually transmitted diseases and subsequent systemic dissemination of infection. Development of vaccines which can induce protective mucosal immunity would have great promise for preventing sexually transmitted diseases including AIDS. DNA vaccines have recently shown certain advantages over other types of vaccines in safety and elicitation of specific immune responses.

Phenylmercury and its mobilization in the organism by a metal complex-forming substance: 2,3-dimercapto-1-propane sodium sulfonate.

Workers handling dressing machines for seed treatment with the product Agronal, containing a phenylmercury chloride fungicide, were exposed to high concentrations of phenylmercury dust in the working environment. Urine analyses for mercury result in concentration of up to 0.1 mg Hg/l of urine.

DNA inoculation induces cross clade anti-HIV-1 responses.

Nucleic acid or DNA immunization represents a novel approach to vaccine and immune therapeutic development. The direct injection of expression cassettes into a living host results in in vivo gene expression and immune activation. In the case of HIV-1 it has been shown by our laboratory that facilitated injection mimicks aspects of live attenuated vaccines and that both humoral and cellular responses can be induced upon injection of a nucleic acid sequence directly into a host target tissue.