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Rational Design of Formulated DNA Vaccines: The DermaVir Approach

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Gene Vaccines

Abstract

DermaVir features three key technological elements of a rational vaccine design: a single plasmid DNA immunogen to express 15 HIV antigens, a synthetic pDNA nanomedicine formulation and a topical dendritic cell-targeting vaccine administration. Its novel mechanism of action has been consistently demonstrated in mice, rabbits, primates and human subjects: DermaVir nanomedicine is naturally transported by epidermal Langerhans cells to the lymph nodes to express the plasmid DNA-encoded HIV antigens and induce precursor/memory T cells with high proliferation capacity. Safety, immunogenicity and preliminary efficacy of DermaVir have been clinically demonstrated in HIV-infected human subjects. DC-based therapeutic vaccination might offer a new treatment paradigm for cancer and infectious diseases.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Research Institute for Genetic and Human Therapy (RIGHT), the European Union FP6 Marie Curie Excellence Chair Programme, and the Hungarian National Office for Research and Technology (NKTH) (HIKC05 and DVCLIN01). We are grateful for DAIDS, NIAID, NIH for several preclinical and clinical studies. We thank for the Hungarian, German, Italian, Swedish and US clinical study teams, DermaVir treated patients, L. Molnár, Z. Lisziewicz for the IT support, E.Tőke, E. Somogyi, M. Stevens and J. Chafouleas for the critical review of the manuscript.

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  1. Genetic Immunity, Budapest, Hungary

    Eszter Nátz

  2. Genetic Immunity, Berlini u. 47-49, 1045, Budapest, Hungary

    Julianna Lisziewicz

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Correspondence to Julianna Lisziewicz .

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  1. , Department of Molecular Biology, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, Salzburg, 5020, Austria

    Josef Thalhamer

  2. , Department of Molecular Biology, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, Salzburg, 5020, Austria

    Richard Weiss

  3. , Department of Molecular Biology, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, Salzburg, 5020, Austria

    Sandra Scheiblhofer

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Nátz, E., Lisziewicz, J. (2012). Rational Design of Formulated DNA Vaccines: The DermaVir Approach. In: Thalhamer, J., Weiss, R., Scheiblhofer, S. (eds) Gene Vaccines. Springer, Vienna. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-0439-2_6

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