Immunogenetic Properties of Genes

Abstract

A most surprising finding is that when injected into animal tissue naked DNA is taken up and expressed by cells with great efficiency. The DNA is given as a plasmid that includes a promoter and an enhancer. When inoculated, the DNA is not stably integrated within the chromosomal DNA, but persists as extrachromosomal nuclear episomes. Both purified DNA and RNA have been shown to be expressed in somatic cells. It is now well established that injection of DNA by many routes may result in in vivo expression and that the proteins become immunogenic. DNA vaccines seem to induce efficient and complete immune responses. The immunizations produce long-term humoral and cellular responses, qualitatively similar to live attenuated vaccines but without the safety hazards of infectious agents. Recently, the first human DNA vaccinations were reported.