DNA VACCINES FOR THE TREATMENT OF AUTOIMMUNE-DISEASE

DNA vaccines represent one of the most significant developments in vac cine technology in recent years. Although, in general, studies have pr imarily focused on the induction of protective immune responses agains t infectious pathogens, the technology may prove useful for other immu ne-related diseases, including autoimmunity. Autoimmune disease result s from a breakdown in tolerance to self antigens; however, the same fu ndamental immunological reactions that control immune responses to for eign antigens are also likely to operate during the course of autoimmu ne disease. These include the reciprocal regulation of Th cell subsets , Th1 cells appear to be involved in many organ-specific autoimmune di seases while suppression of disease is associated with cells of the Th 2 phenotype. It has been possible, therefore, to suppress many of the pathological consequences of autoimmunity by manipulating the Th1/Th2 cell balance, The induction of Th2 responses by DNA immunization might therefore be expected to have a profound effect on the course of auto immune disease. Indeed, we have demonstrated that DNA immunization can protect animals against the autoimmune central nervous system inflamm atory disease, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). As man y other autoantigens have now been identified, the application of this technology to other autoimmune diseases warrants investigation.