PROTECTION AGAINST MYCOPLASMA-INFECTION USING EXPRESSION-LIBRARY IMMUNIZATION

As is evident from the human immunodeficiency virus epidemic, there is no systematic method for producing a vaccine, Genetic immunization(1) is a new approach to vaccine production that has many of the advantag es of live/attenuated pathogens but no risk of infection. It involves introducing DNA encoding a pathogen protein into host cells and has sh own promise in several disease models(2-13) Here we describe a new met hod for vaccine development, expression-library immunization, which ma kes use of the technique of genetic immunization and the fact that all the antigens of a pathogen are encoded in its DNA. An expression libr ary of pathogen DNA is used to immunize a host thereby producing the e ffects of antigen presentation of a live vaccine without the risk. We show that even partial expression libraries made from the DNA of Mycop lasma pulmonis, a natural pathogen in rodents, provide protection agai nst challenge from the pathogen. Expression library immunization may p rove to be a general method for vaccination against any pathogen.