ABSTRACT
Experimental nucleic acid vaccines have been the subject of considerable attention in recent years because of their theoretical potential to achieve effects similar to live attenuated or live recombinant vaccines without the risks associated with the use of infectious agents. Nucleic acid vaccines are
an attractive alternative to conventional protein vaccines because of their ability to induce
de novo
production of antigens in a given tissue following DNA delivery. This strategy avoids many problems associated with live vaccines including reversion of virulence, temperature instability, contaminating adventitious agents, and contraindication in immunologically compromised individuals. The technology is relatively simple. A DNA construct encoding the gene of interest is delivered directly to cells of the organism to be immunized where it is taken up and expressed by the host cells. The endogenously expressed immunogen subsequently induces a protective cellular and humoral immune response in the host.
