Intrasplenic DNA Vaccine Yields Antibodies To Cell Surface Molecules.(Brief Article)

2001 MAY 9 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) --

by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - DNA vaccination directly to the spleen induces polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies (MAb) against cell surface molecules, say researchers working in Thailand.

Their findings carry implications for production of antibodies in situations where the protein antigen is not available, but cDNA encoding the corresponding protein is available.

"In an attempt to produce polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies against cell surface molecules by using the DNA immunization strategy, intramuscular and intrasplenic routes of DNA injection were compared," said S. Moonsom and associates at Chiang Mai University.

Two to five intramuscular DNA immunizations were necessary to induce anti-CD54 and andti-CD147 antibody responses, while only one intrasplenic immunization was necessary to induce anti-CD54 antibodies.

Moonsom and team then fused spleen cells obtained from an intrasplenic CD54-encloding DNA-immunized mice with myeloma cells using the hybridoma technique, which yielded a hybridoma with specific MAb to CD54.

This MAb reacted to CD54 protein in the same way as standard CD54 MAb MEM-111, the authors reported ("Production of polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies against CD54 molecules by intrasplenic immunization of plasmid DNA encoding CD54 protein," Immunology Letters, 2001;76(1):25-30).