Assessment of the efficacy of two novel DNA vaccine formulations against highly pathogenic Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus

Since May 2006, a highly pathogenic porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (HP-PRRSV) has emerged and prevailed in mainland China, affecting over 2 million pigs. Commercial PRRSV killed and modified live vaccines cannot provide complete protection against HP-PRRSV due to genetic variation. Development of more effective vaccines against the emerging HP-PRRSV is urgently required. In our previous studies, two formulations of DNA vaccines (pcDNA3.1-PoIFN-λ1-SynORF5 and BPEI/PLGA-SynORF5) based on the HP-PRRSV were constructed and shown to induce enhanced humoral and cellular immune responses in mice. The objective of this study was to evaluate the immune response induced by these novel formulations in piglets. PcDNA3.1-PoIFN-λ1-SynORF5 and BPEI/PLGA-SynORF5 vaccines induced significantly enhanced GP5-specific antibody and PRRSV-specific neutralizing antibody in pigs compared with the pcDNA3.1-SynORF5 parental construct. Though IFN-γ levels and lymphocyte proliferation responses induced by the two DNA vaccine formulations were comparable to that induced by the pcDNA3.1-SynORF5 construct, each of the novel formulations provided efficient protection against challenge with HP-PRRSV. Non-severe clinical signs and rectal temperatures were observed in pigs immunized with BPEI/PLGA-SynORF5 compared with other groups. Thus, these novel DNA constructs may represent promising candidate vaccines against emerging HP-PRRSV.