Electroporation-Mediated DNA Vaccination

Fagone, Paolo; Shedlock, Devon J.; Kemmerer, Stephen; Rabussay, Dietmar; Weiner, David B.

There are many positive attributes to DNA vaccination that make it a conceptually desirable platform. In clinical studies, however, standard DNA injection alone generally induces low levels of transgene-specific immunity when compared to other vaccine approaches. In order to boost the immunogenicity of this platform, next-generation DNA vaccines require additional techniques such as the administration of electroporation. This new method involves the generation of a brief electric field in tissue around a local injection site that results in the transient poration, or permeabilization, of the cellular membranes. As a result, antigen-specific immune responses are greatly enhanced and are likely due to increased DNA uptake and antigen expression. Thus, electroporation-mediated DNA vaccination represents a promising new strategy for the elicitation of strong immune responses directed against the expressed antigen(s) and not the vector, and ongoing studies are currently underway to optimize the working parameters of this technique. Here, we review the uses of this technology in conjunction with vaccination and suggest future directions for its further exploration.