Successful DNA immunization against measles: Neutralizing antibody against either the hemagglutinin or fusion glycoprotein protects rhesus macaques without evidence of atypical measles

• Published in: Nature medicine Vol. 6; no. 7; pp. 776 - 781
• Main Authors: Griffin, Diane E, Polack, Fernando P, Lee, Sok H, Permar, Sallie, Manyara, Elizabeth, Nousari, Hossein G, Jeng, Yaikah, Mustafa, Farah, Valsamakis, Alexandra, Adams, Robert J, Robinson, Harriet L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Nature Publishing Group 01.07.2000
• Subjects: Animals; Antibodies; Antibodies, Viral - blood; Cytotoxicity; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; DNA vaccines; Drug Administration Routes; Exanthema; Glycoproteins; Hemagglutinins; Hemagglutinins, Viral - genetics; Hemagglutinins, Viral - therapeutic use; Immunization; Immunization, Secondary; Immunogenicity; Lymphocytes; Lymphocytes T; Macaca mulatta; Measles; Measles - prevention & control; Measles Vaccine - therapeutic use; Measles virus; Neutralization Tests; Neutralizing; Pneumonia; Priming; Skin - pathology; Vaccination; Vaccines; Vaccines, Attenuated - therapeutic use; Vaccines, DNA - therapeutic use; Viral Fusion Proteins - genetics; Viral Fusion Proteins - therapeutic use; Viruses
• ISSN: 1078-8956; 1546-170X
• DOI: 10.1038/77506

Measles remains a principal cause of worldwide mortality, in part because young infants cannot be immunized effectively. Development of new vaccines has been hindered by previous experience with a formalin-inactivated vaccine that predisposed to a severe form of disease (atypical measles). Here we have developed and tested potential DNA vaccines for immunogenicity, efficacy and safety in a rhesus macaque model of measles. DNA protected from challenge with wild-type measles virus. Protection correlated with levels of neutralizing antibody and not with cytotoxic T lymphocyte activity. There was no evidence in any group, including those receiving hemagglutinin-encoding DNA alone, of 'priming' for atypical measles.