Induction of Immune Responses by DNA Vaccines Formulated with Dendrimer and Poly (Methyl Methacrylate) (PMMA) Nano-Adjuvants in BALB/c Mice Infected with Leishmania major

BACKGROUND: Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease induced by a protozoan from the genus Leishmania. No effective vaccine has yet been developed against the disease. AIM: In this work, two nano-vaccines, TSA recombinant plasmid and dendrimer and poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) nanoparticles (as adjuvants), were designed and tested for their immunogenicity in BALB/c mice. METHODS: After the plasmid construction and preparation of adjuvants, three intramuscular injections of the nano-vaccines (100 µg) and the recombinant TSA protein (20 µg) were subcutaneously performed. Eventually, the challenged animals were infected with the parasites (1*10(6) promastigotes). After the last injections of the nano-vaccines, the responses of their antibody subclasses and cytokines were assessed via ELISA method before and after the challenge. RESULTS: This study revealed that the new nano-vaccines were strong and effective in inducing specific antibody and cellular responses and reducing the parasite burden in the spleen compared to the control groups of Leishmania major-infected BALB/c mice. CONCLUSION: Based on the results, we can suggest that the formulated vaccines are suitable candidates for further studies in the field of leishmaniasis control.