DNA vaccines and methods for the prevention of transplantation rejection
AssigneeLoma Linda University
InventorsFengchun Li, Alan P. Escher
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Abstract
Methods for preventing, delaying the onset of, or treating rejection of an allograft using a DNA vaccine, where the vaccine can comprise a polynucleotide encoding a pro-apoptotic protein, like BAX and/or a polynucleotide encoding an autoantigen or donor antigen, like secreted glutamic acid decarboxylase 55. Administering one of the DNA vaccines to a transplant recipient, as described herein, can induce a donor specific tolerogenic response.
Claims16
A method for inducing a tolerogenic response, comprising intradermally administering to a graft or transplant recipient an effective amount of a DNA vaccine composition, thereby inducing a tolerogenic response to prevent or minimize (i) late-onset chronic graft or transplant rejection, and/or (ii) transplant induced autoimmunity,
- wherein the DNA vaccine composition comprises (a) a first plasmid comprising a polynucleotide encoding a pro-apoptotic protein operably linked to a promoter that controls the expression of the polynucleotide encoding the pro-apoptotic protein, wherein the encoded pro-apoptotic protein is selected from the group consisting of BAX (SEQ ID NO.:2), Death Receptor 3 (DR3), Death Receptor 4 (DR4), Death Receptor 5 (DR5), and a FAS receptor;
- and (b) a second plasmid comprising a polynucleotide encoding an autoantigen or a donor antigen operably linked to a promoter that controls the expression of the polynucleotide encoding the autoantigen or donor antigen, and comprising a plurality of CpG motifs, wherein at least some of the plurality of CpG motifs are methylated and resistant to digestion by restriction endonuclease HpaII.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.