Improving on the Ability of Endogenous Hepatitis B Core Antigen to Prime Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes

• DOI: 10.1086/652808
• Publication Date: 2010-05-06T19:32:27Z
• Authors: Jessica Nyström; Antony Chen; Lars Frelin; Gustaf Ahlén; Sarene Koh; Anette Brass; Darrell L. Peterson; Michael Fons; David R. Milich; Catharina Hultgren; Matti Sällberg
• Keywords: HBcAg; CTL*; Priming (agriculture)

Hepatitis B virus core antigen (HBcAg) is thought to be a major target for specific cytotoxic T cells (CTLs) in hepatitis infections. A single dose of C nonstructural 3/4A DNA (<5 microg) effectively primes functional CTLs, independently CD4(+) helper and by different routes immunization. In contrast, HBcAg-specific CTL priming was cell dependent highly sensitive the route delivery. Although improved 10-fold codon optimization vivo electroporation, low levels still failed prime CTLs effectively. Only high doses (5 codon-optimized HBcAg delivered electroporation primed lytic polyfunctional CTLs. The ability endogenous surprisingly inefficient differs from that 3/4A. This has important implications design HBcAg-based therapeutic vaccines humans.