Abstract
BackgroundAffecting both livestock and humans, Rift Valley Fever is considered as one of the most important viral zoonoses in Africa. However, no licensed vaccines or effective treatments are yet available for human use. Naked DNA vaccines are an interesting approach since the virus is highly infectious and existing attenuated Rift Valley Fever virus vaccine strains display adverse effects in animal trials. In this study, gene-gun immunisations with cDNA encoding structural proteins of the Rift Valley Fever virus were evaluated in mice. The induced immune responses were analysed for the ability to protect mice against virus challenge.ResultsImmunisation with cDNA encoding the nucleocapsid protein induced strong humoral and lymphocyte proliferative immune responses, and virus neutralising antibodies were acquired after vaccination with cDNA encoding the glycoproteins. Even though complete protection was not achieved by genetic immunisation, four out of eight, and five out of eight mice vaccinated with cDNA encoding the nucleocapsid protein or the glycoproteins, respectively, displayed no clinical signs of infection after challenge. In contrast, all fourteen control animals displayed clinical manifestations of Rift Valley Fever after challenge.ConclusionThe appearance of Rift Valley Fever associated clinical signs were significantly decreased among the DNA vaccinated mice and further adjustment of this strategy may result in full protection against Rift Valley Fever.
Highlights
Affecting both livestock and humans, Rift Valley Fever is considered as one of the most important viral zoonoses in Africa
Two vaccine candidates have been proposed and tested for their safety and efficacy in animal trials: a naturally attenuated Rift Valley Fever virus (RVFV) isolate from a benign human case in the Central African Republic, Clone 13 [12] and a human virus isolate of RVFV attenuated in cell culture by 5-fluorouracil treatment, MP12 [13,14]
In this study we evaluate the induced immune responses and the conferred protection in mice after genetic immunisation with cDNA encoding the structural proteins of RVFV
Summary
Affecting both livestock and humans, Rift Valley Fever is considered as one of the most important viral zoonoses in Africa. No licensed vaccines or effective treatments are yet available for human use. Naked DNA vaccines are an interesting approach since the virus is highly infectious and existing attenuated Rift Valley Fever virus vaccine strains display adverse effects in animal trials. There are a few vaccines available for use in livestock: vaccines based on the live-attenuated Smithburn strain [7] and formalin inactivated virus preparations [8]. The Smithburn virus vaccine is suggested to induce lifelong protection, but has retained the ability to induce abortions and teratogenic effects in livestock [9,10]. Clone 13 and MP12 were shown to be safe and immunogenic in mice and in cattle and sheep, respectively [12], the MP12 vaccine was found teratogenic for pregnant sheep if used during the first trimester [15]
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