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DNA vaccine encoding Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus S1 protein induces protective immune responses in mice
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

DNA vaccine encoding Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus S1 protein induces protective immune responses in mice

Hang Chi, Xuexing Zheng, Xiwen Wang, Chong Wang, Hualei Wang, Weiwei Gai, Stanley Perlman, Songtao Yang, Jincun Zhao and Xianzhu Xia
Vaccine, Vol.35(16), pp.2069-2075
04/11/2017
DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2017.02.063
PMCID: PMC5411280
PMID: 28314561
url
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2017.02.063View
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

•DNA vaccine encoding MERS-CoV S1 gene induced humoral and cellular immune responses.•High titers of neutralizing antibodies were generated without adjuvant.•Virus loads in lungs significantly decreased in vaccinated and serum received mice. The Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), is an emerging pathogen that continues to cause outbreaks in the Arabian peninsula and in travelers from this region, raising the concern that a global pandemic could occur. Here, we show that a DNA vaccine encoding the first 725 amino acids (S1) of MERS-CoV spike (S) protein induces antigen-specific humoral and cellular immune responses in mice. With three immunizations, high titers of neutralizing antibodies (up to 1: 104) were generated without adjuvant. DNA vaccination with the MERS-CoV S1 gene markedly increased the frequencies of antigen-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cells secreting IFN-γ and other cytokines. Both pcDNA3.1-S1 DNA vaccine immunization and passive transfer of immune serum from pcDNA3.1-S1 vaccinated mice protected Ad5-hDPP4-transduced mice from MERS-CoV challenge. These results demonstrate that a DNA vaccine encoding MERS-CoV S1 protein induces strong protective immune responses against MERS-CoV infection.
DNA vaccine Spike protein MERS-CoV

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