Sustained protective rabies neutralizing antibody titers after administration of cationic lipid-formulated pDNA vaccine

Published data indicate that formulation of pDNA with cationic lipids could greatly enhance the response to a pDNA vaccine in larger mammals. The present work tested the influence of several pDNA:cationic lipid formulations on rabies neutralizing titers. Plasmid expressing Rabies G protein (CVS strain) was evaluated in vivo for ability to elicit neutralizing titers. pDNA:DMRIE-DOPE formulated at two DNA:cationic lipid molar ratios was compared in mice to a Vaxfectin-pDNA formulation. Mouse data indicate that Vaxfectin is more effective than DMRIE-DOPE in eliciting neutralizing titers. In addition, the ratio of pDNA to DMRIE-DOPE can also affect neutralizing titers. Our data show that sustained neutralizing titers (120 days) can be obtained after a single administration of DMRIE-DOPE-formulated pDNA in rabbits.