Electroporation improves the immune response induced by a DNA vaccine against pseudorabies virus glycoprotein B in pigs

Abstract

This study was performed to determine whether electroporation can be used to enhance the efficacy of a DNA vaccine against pseudorabies virus (PrV) in pigs. Immune responses to PrV were measured in pigs following a single intramuscular injection of plasmids encoding PrV glycoprotein B, with or without electroporation. Plasmid injection coupled with electroporation increased production of specific antibodies against PrV and peripheral blood mononuclear cells proliferated in response to stimulation with PrV glycoproteins. These results show that electroporation can improve the performance of a DNA vaccine against PrV in pigs. However, additional work is required to maximise the effectiveness of the vaccination protocol.