• The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.243-249
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• 1986

A study of the immunogenicity and reactogenicity of two doses of lot H(10, 20 mcg), two doses of lot L (20, 40 mcg) of the Smith Kline-RIT recombinant DNA yeast-derived hepatitis B vaccine and a 20-mcg dose of the Merck Sharp and Dohme plasma-derived hepatitis B vaccine was conducted in young adults under randomized, double-blind conditions. Immunization was carried out according to a 0-, 1-, and 6-month vaccination schedule. Results indicated that the yeast-derived hepatitis B vaccine was well tolerated and immunogenic. Reactogenicity to both yeast- and plasma-derived vaccines was mild in severity and low in incidence with no significant differences appearing between the study groups. One month after the third dose, the yeast-derived vaccines induced a high degree of soroconversion ranging between 95.0% and 100%. The response was not lot or dose-dependent. The administration of the plasma-derived vaccine resulted in anti-HBs geometric mean titres statistically signifirantly higher than those elicited by the different yeast-derived hepatitis B vaccines one month after the third dose of vaccine but the difference was not large enough to be of great clinical significance.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.325-334
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• 2018

Toxoplasma gondii is an apicomplexan zoonotic protozoan parasite that infects most species of warm-blooded animals, including humans. The heavy incidence and severe or lethal damage caused by T. gondii infection clearly indicate a need for the development of an effective vaccine. T. gondii GRA8 is a member of the dense granules protein family and is used as a marker of acute infection. In the present study, we evaluated the protective immunity induced by DNA vaccination based on a recombinant eukaryotic plasmid, pDsRed2-GRA8, against acute toxoplasmosis in mice. BALB/c mice were intramuscularly immunized with the pDsRed2-GRA8 plasmid and then challenged by infection with the highly virulent GFP-RH strain of T. gondii. The specific immune responses and protective efficacy against T. gondii of this vaccine were analyzed by measuring cytokine and serum antibody titers, splenocyte proliferation assays, and the survival times of mice after challenge. Our results showed that mice immunized with pDsRed2-GRA8 demonstrated specific humoral and cellular responses, induced higher IgG antibody titers with predominant IgG2a production; increased levels of IL-10, IL-12 (p70), $IFN-{\gamma}$, $TNF-{\alpha}$, and splenocyte proliferation; and prolonged survival times compared to those of control mice. The present study showed that DNA immunization with pDsRed2-GRA8 induced humoral and cellular immune responses, and all immunized mice showed greater Th1-type immune responses and longer survival times than those of control mice. These results indicated that T. gondii GRA8 DNA immunization induces a partial protective effect against acute toxoplasmosis.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.835-841
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• 2018

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the reversibility and safety of KISS1 metastasis suppressor (KISS1) gene vaccine in immunocastration. Methods: Six eight-week old ram lambs were randomly divided into vaccinated and control groups. The vaccine (1 mg/ram lamb) was injected at weeks 0, 3, and 6 of the study. Blood samples were collected from the jugular vein before primary immunization and at weeks 2, 4, 6, 10, 14, 22, and 30 after primary immunization. All ram lambs were slaughtered at 38 weeks of age, and samples were collected. Results: The specific anti-KISS1 antibody titers in vaccinated animals were significantly higher and the serum testosterone level was significantly lower than those in the control groups from week 4 to 14 after primary immunization (p<0.05). No significant difference was observed at weeks 22 and 30 after the primary immunization. Similar results were also found for scrotal circumference, testicular weight, length, breadth, and spermatogenesis in seminiferous tubules in week 30 after primary immunization. KS (KISS1-hepatitis B surface antigen S) fusion fragment of KISS1 gene vaccine was not detected in host cell genomic DNA of 9 tissues of the vaccinated ram lambs by polymerase chain reaction. Conclusion: The effects of KISS1 gene vaccine in immunocastration were reversible and no integration events were recorded.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.61 no.3
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• pp.231-239
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• 2023

Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular parasitic organism affecting all warm-blooded vertebrates. Due to the unavailability of commercialized human T. gondii vaccine, many studies have been reported investigating the protective efficacy of pre-clinical T. gondii vaccines expressing diverse antigens. Careful antigen selection and implementing multifarious immunization strategies could enhance protection against toxoplasmosis in animal models. Although none of the available vaccines could remove the tissue-dwelling parasites from the host organism, findings from these pre-clinical toxoplasmosis vaccine studies highlighted their developmental potential and provided insights into rational vaccine design. We herein explored the progress of T. gondii vaccine development using DNA, protein subunit, and virus-like particle vaccine platforms. Specifically, we summarized the findings from the pre-clinical toxoplasmosis vaccine studies involving T. gondii challenge infection in mice published in the past 5 years.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.6 no.6
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• pp.474-481
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• 1996

Since the commercially available rabbit anti-cyclin D3, generated from c-terminal 16 amino acid residues which are common to human and murine cyclin D3, is highly cross-reactive with many other cellular proteins of mouse, a new rabbit polyclonal anti-cyclin D3 has been raised by using murine cyclin D3 protein expressed at a high level in Escherichia coli as the immunogen. To express murine cyclin D3 protein in E. coli, the cyclin D3 cDNA fragment encoding c-terminal 236 amino acid residues obtained by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was inserted into the NcoI/BamHI site of protein expression vector, pET 3d. Molecular mass of the cyclin D3 overexpressed in the presence of IPTG (Isopropyl $\beta$-D-thiogalactopyranoside) was approximately 26 kDa as calculated from the reading frame on the DNA sequence, and the protein was insoluble and mainly localized in the inclusion bodies that could be easily purified from the other cellular soluble proteins. When renaturation was performed following denaturation of the insoluble cyclin D3 protein in the inclusion bodies using guanidine hydrochloride, 4.4 mg of soluble form of cyclin D3 protein was produced from the transformant cultured in 100ml of LB media under the optimum conditions. Four-hundred micrograms of the soluble form of cyclin D3 protein was used for each immunization of a rabbit. When the antiserum obtained 2 weeks after tertiary immunization was applied to Western blot analysis, it was able to detect 33 kDa cyclin D3 protein in both murine lymphoma cell line BW5147.G.1.4 and human Jurkat T cells at 3,000-fold dilution with higher specificity to murine cyclin D3, demonstrating that the new rabbit polyclonal anti-murine cyclin D3 generated against c-terminal 236 amino acid residues more specifically recognizes murine cyclin D3 protein than does the commercially available rabbit polyclonal antibody raised against c-terminal 16 amino acids residues.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.268-280
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• 2011

Background: Dengue virus, which belongs to the Flavivirus genus of the Flaviviridae family, causes fatal dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) and dengue shock syndrome (DSS) with infection risk of 2.5 billion people worldwide. However, approved vaccines are still not available. Here, we explored the immune responses induced by alternating prime-boost vaccination using DNA vaccine, adenovirus, and vaccinia virus expressing E protein of dengue virus type 2 (DenV2). Methods: Following immunization with DNA vaccine (pDE), adenovirus (rAd-E), and/or vaccinia virus (VV-E) expressing E protein, E protein-specific IgG and its isotypes were determined by conventional ELISA. Intracellular CD154 and cytokine staining was used for enumerating CD4+ T cells specific for E protein. E protein-specific CD8+ T cell responses were evaluated by in vivo CTL killing activity and intracellular IFN-${\gamma}$ staining. Results: Among three constructs, VV-E induced the most potent IgG responses, Th1-type cytokine production by stimulated CD4+ T cells, and the CD8+ T cell response. Furthermore, when the three constructs were used for alternating prime-boost vaccination, the results revealed a different pattern of CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses. i) Priming with VV-E induced higher E-specific IgG level but it was decreased rapidly. ii) Strong CD8+ T cell responses specific for E protein were induced when VV-E was used for the priming step, and such CD8+ T cell responses were significantly boosted with pDE. iii) Priming with rAd-E induced stronger CD4+ T cell responses which subsequently boosted with pDE to a greater extent than VV-E and rAd-E. Conclusion: These results indicate that priming with live viral vector vaccines could induce different patterns of E protein-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses which were significantly enhanced by booster vaccination with the DNA vaccine. Therefore, our observation will provide valuable information for the establishment of optimal prime-boost vaccination against DenV.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.11
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• pp.2060-2069
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• 2017

Newcastle disease is a serious infectious disease in the poultry industry. The commercial vaccines can only offer limited protection and some of them are expensive and need adjuvants. At present, DNA vaccines are widely used. However, the immune responses induced by DNA vaccines are too slow and low. Here, we constructed the transfer vectors with a different number of C3d as molecular adjuvants (n = 1, 2, 4, or 6), and the vectors were cloned into the optimal eukaryotic expression plasmid (pVAXI-optiF) that expressed the F gene of Newcastle disease virus (NDV), and named pVAXI-F(o)-C3d1, pVAXI -F(o)-C3d2, pVAXI-F(o)-C3d4, and pVAXI-F(o)-C3d6, respectively. Cell transfection test indicated that pVAXI-F(o)-C3d6 showed the highest expression. In vivo immunization showed that the chickens immunized with pVAXI-F(o)-C3d6 intramuscularly induced better immune responses than the chickens immunized with the other plasmids. The protective efficacy of pVAXI-F(o)-C3d6 was 80% after challenge with the highly virulent NDV strain F48E9. The results in this study showed that C3d6 could be used as a molecular adjuvant to quickly induce an effective immune response to control NDV.

• Kidney Research and Clinical Practice
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.323-337
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• 2018

Infectious complications have been considered as a major cause of morbidity and mortality after kidney transplantation, especially in the Asian population. Therefore, prevention, early detection, and prompt treatment of such infections are crucial in kidney transplant recipients. Among all infectious complications, viruses are considered to be the most common agents because of their abundance, infectivity, and latency ability. Herpes simplex virus, varicella zoster virus, Epstein-Barr virus, cytomegalovirus, hepatitis B virus, BK polyomavirus, and adenovirus are well-known etiologic agents of viral infections in kidney transplant patients worldwide because of their wide range of distribution. As DNA viruses, they are able to reactivate after affected patients receive immunosuppressive agents. These DNA viruses can cause systemic diseases or allograft dysfunction, especially in the first six months after transplantation. Pretransplant evaluation and immunization as well as appropriate prophylaxis and preemptive approaches after transplant have been established in the guidelines and are used effectively to reduce the incidence of these viral infections. This review will describe the etiology, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of viral infections that commonly affect kidney transplant recipients.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.1-18
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• 2008

Although Lamivudine and adefovir dipivoxil are efficacious drugs for preventing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in chronic hepatitis B patients, their efficacy is far from completely satisfactory. The risk of liver cirrhosis and HCC begins to increase at an HBV DNA level of $10^4$ copies/ml. Even with latent or past HBV infection, episomal covalently closed circular DNA(cccDNA) plays a key rolein the persistence, relapse and resistance of HBV in its natural course or during therapy. The annual incidence of HCC in YUMC is 1.8% and 4.7% patients/year in the antiviral treatment and control groups, respectively. The ability to achieve a high rate of sustained HBV suppression with low risk of drug resistance is the ultimate goal in the treatment of chronic HBV infection. The efficacy of universal immunization with striking reductions in the prevalence of HBV in localized countries needs to be spread worldwide. With hepatitis B immunization and effective antiviral therapy, global control of HBV infection and HBV-related complications, including HCC, are possible by the end of the first half of the $21^{st}$ century.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.18
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• pp.8019-8029
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• 2016

The development of new strategies for vaccine delivery for generating protective and long-lasting immune responses has become an expanding field of research. In the last years, it has been recognized that bacteriophages have several potential applications in the biotechnology and medical fields because of their intrinsic advantages, such as ease of manipulation and large-scale production. Over the past two decades, bacteriophages have gained special attention as vehicles for protein/peptide or DNA vaccine delivery. In fact, whole phage particles are used as vaccine delivery vehicles to achieve the aim of enhanced immunization. In this strategy, the carried vaccine is protected from environmental damage by phage particles. In this review, phage-based vaccine categories and their development are presented in detail, with discussion of the potential of phage-based vaccines for protection against microbial diseases and cancer treatment. Also reviewed are some recent advances in the field of phagebased vaccines.