A Hybrid Vehicle That Delivers DNA

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Newswise BUFFALO, N.Y. A new hybrid vehicle is under development.

Its performance isnt measured by the distance it travels, but rather the delivery of its cargo: vaccines that contain genetically engineered DNA to fight HIV, cancer, influenza and other maladies.

Described recently in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the technology is a biomedical advancement that could help unleash the potential of DNA vaccines, which despite two decades of research, have yet to make a significant impact in the treatment of major illnesses.

The technology that were developing could help take immunization to the next level, said Blaine A. Pfeifer, PhD, an associate professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at the University at Buffalo.

Pfeifer, the studys lead author, added: By improving the delivery of DNA vaccines, we can potentially harness the human immune system in new ways to fight everything from the flu and herpes to HIV and cancer.

Conventional vaccines, like those used to fight polio and smallpox, are typically composed of an agent that contains weakened or killed forms of the disease-causing microbe. The agent prompts the immune system to recognize the agent as foreign, destroy it, and keep a record of it so the immune system can more effectively fight it in the future.

While effective, some vaccines dont last, others can revert to dangerous forms and some are costly and time-consuming to develop. Furthermore, no effective vaccines exist for cancer, malaria and others diseases that kill millions of people worldwide annually.

DNA vaccines could address these problems.

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A Hybrid Vehicle That Delivers DNA