Immunization Newsbriefs (c) Copyright Information Inc., Bethesda, MD. Brought to you by the National Network for Immunization Information (NNii). Visit NNii's new website at http://www.immunizationinfo.org.
------------------------------------------------------------
June 7, 2002
INTERNATIONAL IMMUNIZATION NEWS
"Immunodominance in Virus-Induced CD8+ T-Cell Responses Is Dramatically Modified by DNA Immunization and Is Regulated by Gamma Interferon" Journal of Virology Online (jvi.asm.org) (05/02/02) Vol. 76, No. 9, P. 4251; Rodriguez, Fernando; Harkins, Stephanie; Slifka, Mark K.
Immunodominance, the response of the human immune system to just a few of the many possible epitopes of a foreign protein occurring during microbial infection and after vaccination, needs to be better understood so that more effective and straightforward vaccines can be developed to avoid the phenomenon. Immunodominance can affect DNA vaccines, but can be avoided simply be separating epitopes. DNA vaccines that have isolated dominant and subdominant epitopes cause similar responses in the immune system. As a result, the researchers suggest that multiple-epitope DNA vaccines in the future consist of a blend of plasmids, each expressing its own epitope, the better to disperse among antigen-presenting cells in the body.
ALL INFORMATION, DATA, AND
MATERIAL CONTAINED, PRESENTED, OR PROVIDED HERE IS FOR GENERAL INFORMATION
PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS REFLECTING THE KNOWLEDGE OR OPINIONS
OF THE PUBLISHER, AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED OR INTENDED AS PROVIDING MEDICAL OR
LEGAL ADVICE. THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO VACCINATE IS AN IMPORTANT AND
COMPLEX ISSUE AND SHOULD BE MADE BY YOU, AND YOU ALONE, IN CONSULTATION WITH
YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.