DNA vaccines: Will they deliver?

Abstract

A new form of vaccination using DNA as the vaccine instead of protein or attenuated pathogens has the potential to revolutionise the way vaccines are made and used. Based on administering purified plasmid DNA, these vaccines have shown remarkable promise in numerous animal models for the prevention of several important human diseases. The use of DNA as a vaccine raises several questions including the basic questions of just how do they work to stimulate an immune response, many of which we are only beginning to understand. In addition to efficacy, there are also several safety issues that will have to be addressed prior to large scale testing in humans. Given the excitement surrounding this ..