[DNA vaccines against allergy]

DNA vaccines induce a T-helper-1(Th1)-biased immune response through a Th1-promoting adjuvant effect of immunostimulatory DNA sequences(ISS) with unmethylated CpG motifs present in plasmid DNA. Th1 responses induced by DNA vaccines were shown to modify an ongoing Th2 immune response. This potency was explored as therapy for allergy and asthma. In murine models vaccination with plasmid DNA encoding an allergen reduced an ongoing IgE response to the allergen and lowered the levels of eosinophils in the lung after allergen challenge. Therefore DNA vaccines would be a widely appreciated application for allergic diseases.