Open AccessCoencapsulation of CpG Oligodeoxynucleotides with RecombinantLeishmania majorStress-Inducible Protein 1 in Liposome Enhances Immune Response and Protection against Leishmaniasis in Immunized BALB/c Mice
Author(s) -
Ali Badiee,
Mahmoud Reza Jaafari,
Afshin Samiei,
Dina Soroush,
Ali Khamesipour
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
clinical and vaccine immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.649
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1556-6811
pISSN - 1556-679X
DOI - 10.1128/cvi.00413-07
Subject(s) - cpg oligodeoxynucleotide , adjuvant , antigen , immune system , leishmania , liposome , balb/c , immunology , immunogenicity , biology , cpg site , microbiology and biotechnology , biochemistry , parasite hosting , gene expression , world wide web , gene , computer science , dna methylation
CpG oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG ODN) have been shown to have potent adjuvant activity for a wide range of antigens. The purpose of this study was to determine the potential benefit of using liposomes as a delivery vehicle to enhance the adjuvant activity of CpG ODN withLeishmania major stress-inducible protein 1 (LmSTI1) antigen in induction of the Th1 response in a murine model of leishmaniasis. BALB/c mice were immunized subcutaneously three times in 3-week intervals with liposomal recombinant LmSTI1 (Lip-rLmSTI1), rLmSTI1 coencapsulated with CpG ODN in a liposome (Lip-rLmSTI1-CpG ODN), rLmSTI1 plus CpG ODN in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), rLmSTI1 plus non-CpG ODN in PBS, rLmSTI1 in PBS, empty liposome, or PBS. The intensity of infection induced byL. major promastigote challenge was measured by footpad swelling. A significant (P < 0.001) inhibition of infection in mice immunized with Lip-rLmSTI1-CpG ODN was shown compared to the other groups, and no parasite was detected in the spleens of this group 14 weeks after challenge. The highest immunoglobulin G2a (IgG2a) titer and the highest IgG2a/IgG1 ratio were also shown in the sera of mice immunized with Lip-rLmSTI1-CpG ODN before and 14 weeks after challenge. The results indicated the superiority of CpG ODN in its liposomal form over its soluble form to induce the Th1 response when used in association with rLmSTI1 antigen. It seems that using a liposome delivery system carrying CpG ODN as an adjuvant coencapsulated withLeishmania antigen plays an important role in vaccine development strategies against leishmaniasis.