• Vaccine Name: L. amazonensis DNA vaccine encoding WD protein
• Target Pathogen: Leishmania amazonensis
• Target Disease: Leishmaniasis
• Vaccine Ontology ID: VO_0011349
• Type: DNA vaccine
• Status: Research
• Host Species as Laboratory Animal Model: mouse
• Antigen: L. amazonensis WD
• WD gene engineering:
  • Type: DNA vaccine construction
  • Description: The whole gene insert from the pBK-CMV clone containing the LAWD gene was subcloned into the pET32a plasmid (Invitrogen) for His tag protein expression. To ensure that the ORF would be read in frame, the plasmid was first digested with BamHI and then blunt-ended by a Klenow reaction (Invitrogen) (Campbell et al., 2004).
  • Detailed Gene Information: Click Here.
• DNA vaccine plasmid:
  • DNA vaccine plasmid name:
  • DNA vaccine plasmid VO ID: VO_0005057
• Immunization Route: Subcutaneous injection

Mouse Response

• Host Strain: BALB/c
• Vaccination Protocol: Mice (five per group) were immunized in five locations with a total of 100 μg of DNA (50 μg of LAWD and 50 μg of IL-12) per mouse: four injections in both sides of the inner and outer thigh muscles of the hind legs (∼50 μl/site) and one subcutaneous injection in the left hind foot (∼5 μl/site) (Campbell et al., 2004).
• Challenge Protocol: Mice were boosted twice at 3-week intervals and then challenged 3 weeks after the last immunization with 2 × 10^5 metacyclic promastigotes in the right hind foot (Campbell et al., 2004).
• Efficacy: DNA vaccination in BALB/c mice with the LAWD (for Leishmania antigenic WD protein) and IL-12 genes significantly delayed lesion development from challenge with Leishmania amazonensis, which correlated with a dramatic reduction in parasite burdens (Campbell et al., 2004).