[DNA vaccine]

DNA vaccine involves the injection of plasmid DNA encoding an antigen under the control of an eukaryotic promoter, and results in cellular and humoral immune responses to the plasmid DNA-encoded antigen. The immune response induced by DNA vaccine usually has a T-helper-1(Th1) bias through a potent Th1-promoting adjuvant effect of immunostimulatory DNA sequences with CpG motifs present in plasmid DNA. It has been demonstrated that volunteers who were vaccinated with plasmid DNA encoding a malaria protein or a human immunodeficiency virus protein developed antigen-specific, human leukocyte antigen(HLA)-restricted, CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes(CTLs) The demonstration in humans of the induction of CD8+ CTLs by DNA vaccines, including CTLs, provides a foundation for further clinical application of this potentially revolutionary vaccine technology.