This research proposal was done as an outline for what information was contained in our research proposal. 

Jennifer Sanchez Flores

11/12/18

Research Proposal

DNA vaccines are currently available for animal use, however, none have been made available for human use. Every year, both children and adults have to make a trip to the doctor’s office for a flu shot. DNA vaccines are a long term solution. DNA vaccines have been proven to be safe and should be continuously researched. This research would lead to the development of DNA vaccines available for all children and adults. Traditional vaccines were research before and became a standard in the lives of all. Extensive research needs to be conducted in order to determine whether the development and introduction of DNA vaccinations into standard usage by all primary care physicians should be carried out.

DNA vaccines arose in the 1990s and have since been studied with a positive outlook on the future. As a new topic, many scientists were intrigued at the idea. DNA vaccinations meant that there wasn’t a need for the replication of a pathogen like traditional vaccines. However, the first phases of trials didn’t prove to be as successful as planned. The first phase targeted human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). They proved that these vaccinations were safe, however, they failed to produce an immune response. Since no threat was posed, this provided a positive outlook. Research was conducted to increase the immune response and production of antigens. Since traditional vaccines inject a pathogen, DNA vaccines can even be seen as safer than regular vaccines since it reduces the risk of the person to obtain the infection. Plasmids are nonliving, as well as non replicating, so unlike they pathogens, they can not harm someone or cause an infection. After the initial studies, research was continued on small and large animals were efficiency was continuously studied, although no major breakthrough have been reported. Currently, research is still on going with the majority of research still focusing on HIV and cancer. Research is even being focused on giving vaccinations in a new way, meaning a needle-free way. There is so much to discover and learn about DNA vaccinations. Although past studies have been disappointing, it shouldn’t prevent scientists from continuing research in hopes of a breakthrough.   

Houser, K. V., Yamshchikov, G. V., Bellamy, A. R., May, J., Enama, M. E., Sarwar, U., …Ledgerwood, J. E. (2018). DNA vaccine priming for seasonal influenza vaccine in children and adolescents 6 to 17 years of age: A phase 1 randomized clinical trial. PLoS ONE, 13(11), e0206837. Retrieved from http://link.galegroup.com.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/apps/doc/A560901115/AONE?u=cuny_ccny&sid=AONE&xid=dcda806d

Houser includes a study containing 75 children ranging from the ages 6 to 17 across the United States between June of 2012 and July of 2013. This trial was split into three groups. Two groups received the DNA primes (1mg and 4 mg), while the other received influenza vaccines (IIV3) prime and all were then given an IIV3 boost. All participants had to be overall healthy to participate in this study. Group placement was random and blood samples from each participant were taken before, during, and after. The study concluded that the group with an increased concentration of the DNA prime had not developed an overall higher immune response. The responses were similar and not different enough to satisfy that DNA vaccines are more efficient.

Kim, A. R., Park, J., Kim, J. H., Kwak, J. E., Cho, Y., Lee, H., Jeong, M., Park, S. H., … Shin, E. C. (2018). Herpes Zoster DNA Vaccines with IL-7 and IL-33 Molecular Adjuvants Elicit Protective T Cell Immunity. Immune network, 18(5), e38. doi:10.4110/in.2018.18.e38

Kim includes a study that uses mice as their subjects. This study focused on shingles (HZ) and the best vaccination to prevent it. They focused on injecting plasmids in hopes on an immune response. They used female mice who were maintained in pathogen-free environments. These mice were immunized three times every two weeks. Their spleens were obtained at the end of study and examined.  Their study concluded that the HZ DNA injection did provide mice with T-cell immunity and it showed how the DNA vaccination boosted responses in those mice with previous infections, however, it showed how the effectiveness of the vaccine declined with age. However, this study lacked a control group.

New research needs to conducted in order to understand and implement DNA vaccinations in traditional settings. Past research has proven to be disappointing, but the topic of DNA vaccinations needs to be explored more. While vaccinations have been known about for a century, DNA vaccinations are a relatively new topic. Houser’s study was conducted efficiently, but with some flaws. This study fails to take into account the environment the children are in, or even previously were in. It studies a majority of white children and less black or Hispanic children. White children are exposed to a different environment than other races If DNA vaccinations were to becomes a standard, we need to know how it affects all children, not just white children. There is also an uneven amount of children in each group. With a larger participant group, this can better show what is needed to improve vaccinations. Understandably, parents will be hesitant about their children participating in the study, however, as more studies are conducted, DNA vaccinations will be further proven to be safe and efficient. The second study does not even conduct studies on humans, although the shingles virus it is focused on is something that should be focused on. This research needs to be expanded beyond what it is currently. Continuous studies on this topic will ensure that parents all over the United States and even the world can see DNA vaccinations as a positive contribution to the health of their children. More research can be conducted to determine more about all of the effects including on age and race.

 

References

Li, L., Saade, F., & Petrovsky, N. (2012). The future of human DNA vaccines. Journal of biotechnology, 162(2-3), 171-82.

Bernadette Ferraro, Matthew P. Morrow, Natalie A. Hutnick, Thomas H. Shin, Colleen E. Lucke, David B. Weiner; Clinical Applications of DNA Vaccines: Current Progress, Clinical Infectious Diseases, Volume 53, Issue 3, 1 August 2011, Pages 296–302, https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/cir334

Houser, K. V., Yamshchikov, G. V., Bellamy, A. R., May, J., Enama, M. E., Sarwar, U., …Ledgerwood, J. E. (2018). DNA vaccine priming for seasonal influenza vaccine in children and adolescents 6 to 17 years of age: A phase 1 randomized clinical trial. PLoS ONE, 13(11), e0206837. Retrieved from http://link.galegroup.com.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/apps/doc/A560901115/AONE?u=cuny_ccny&sid=AONE&xid=dcda806d

Kim, A. R., Park, J., Kim, J. H., Kwak, J. E., Cho, Y., Lee, H., Jeong, M., Park, S. H., … Shin, E. C. (2018). Herpes Zoster DNA Vaccines with IL-7 and IL-33 Molecular Adjuvants Elicit Protective T Cell Immunity. Immune network, 18(5), e38. doi:10.4110/in.2018.18.e38