c-di-GMP is an effective immunomodulator and vaccine adjuvant against pneumococcal infection

Vaccine. 2008 Aug 26;26(36):4676-85. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2008.06.099. Epub 2008 Jul 18.

Abstract

Cyclic diguanylate (c-di-GMP) is a unique bacterial intracellular signaling molecule capable of stimulating enhanced protective innate immunity against various bacterial infections. The effects of intranasal pretreatment with c-di-GMP, or intraperitoneal coadministration of c-di-GMP with the pneumolysin toxoid (PdB) or pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA) before pneumococcal challenge, were investigated in mice. We found that c-di-GMP had no significant direct short-term effect on the growth rate of Streptococcus pneumoniae either in vitro or in vivo. However, intranasal pretreatment of mice with c-di-GMP resulted in a significant decrease in bacterial load in lungs and blood after serotypes 2 and 3 challenge, and a significant decrease in lung titers after serotype 4 challenge. Potential cellular mediators of these enhanced protective responses were identified in lungs and draining lymph nodes. Intraperitoneal coadministration of c-di-GMP with PdB or PspA before challenge resulted in significantly higher antigen-specific antibody titers and increased survival of mice, compared to that obtained with alum adjuvant. These findings demonstrate that local or systemic c-di-GMP administration stimulates innate and adaptive immunity against invasive pneumococcal disease. We propose that c-di-GMP can be used as an effective broad spectrum immunomodulator and vaccine adjuvant to prevent infectious diseases.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adjuvants, Immunologic / administration & dosage
  • Adjuvants, Immunologic / pharmacology*
  • Administration, Intranasal
  • Alum Compounds / administration & dosage
  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Bacterial / blood
  • Bacterial Proteins / immunology
  • Blood / microbiology
  • Colony Count, Microbial
  • Cyclic GMP / analogs & derivatives*
  • Cyclic GMP / pharmacology
  • Female
  • Immunologic Factors / administration & dosage
  • Immunologic Factors / pharmacology*
  • Injections, Intraperitoneal
  • Lung / immunology
  • Lung / microbiology
  • Lymph Nodes / immunology
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Pneumococcal Infections / prevention & control*
  • Pneumococcal Vaccines / immunology*
  • Streptococcus pneumoniae / growth & development
  • Streptococcus pneumoniae / immunology
  • Streptolysins / immunology
  • Survival Analysis

Substances

  • Adjuvants, Immunologic
  • Alum Compounds
  • Antibodies, Bacterial
  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Immunologic Factors
  • Pneumococcal Vaccines
  • Streptolysins
  • plY protein, Streptococcus pneumoniae
  • pneumococcal surface protein A
  • aluminum sulfate
  • bis(3',5')-cyclic diguanylic acid
  • Cyclic GMP