Immune Netw.  2018 Oct;18(5):e38. 10.4110/in.2018.18.e38.

Herpes Zoster DNA Vaccines with IL-7 and IL-33 Molecular Adjuvants Elicit Protective T Cell Immunity

• Kim AR
• Park J
• Kim JH
• Kwak JE
• Cho Y
• Lee H
• Jeong M
• Park SH
• Shin EC

• KMID: 2424204
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4110/in.2018.18.e38

Abstract

Herpes zoster (HZ), or shingles, is caused by the reactivation of latent varicella-zoster virus (VZV) from the sensory ganglia when VZV-specific T-cell immunity is decreased because of aging or immunosuppression. In the present study, we developed HZ DNA vaccine candidates encoding VZV proteins and cytokine adjuvants, such as IL-7 and IL-33. We immunized C57BL/6 mice with DNA plasmids encoding VZV glycoprotein E (gE), immediate early (IE) 63, or IE62 proteins and found that robust VZV protein-specific T-cell responses were elicited by HZ DNA vaccination. Co-administration of DNA plasmids encoding IL-7 or IL-33 in HZ DNA vaccination significantly enhanced the magnitude of VZV protein-specific T-cell responses. Protective immunity elicited by HZ DNA vaccination was proven by challenge experiments with a surrogate virus, vaccinia virus expressing gE (VV-gE). A single dose of HZ DNA vaccine strongly boosted gE-specific T-cell responses in mice with a history of previous infection by VV-gE. Thus, HZ DNA vaccines with IL-7 and IL-33 adjuvants strongly elicit protective immunity.

Keyword

Herpes zoster; T-cells; DNA vaccines; IL-7; IL-33

MeSH Terms

Aging
Animals
DNA*
Ganglia, Sensory
Glycoproteins
Herpes Zoster*
Herpesvirus 3, Human
Immunosuppression
Interleukin-33*
Interleukin-7*
Mice
Plasmids
T-Lymphocytes
Vaccination
Vaccines, DNA*
Vaccinia virus
DNA
Glycoproteins
Interleukin-33
Interleukin-7
Vaccines, DNA