DNA vaccination: an immunological perspective

DNA vaccination is a promising new approach for the prevention and treatment of many diseases because of its ability to induce both humoral and cellular immune responses against antigens encoded by recombinant DNA. After inoculation into the host, DNA enters the cells, where the antigen is expressed and processed and subsequently recognised by the immune system as in a natural infection. This technology holds great promise for cancer immunotherapy and it is also expected to become the preferred tool for the next generation of vaccines, particularly those suitable against intracellular infections for which available vaccines are not effective. This review focuses on the mechanisms by which DNA vaccination induces immune responses and the approaches being followed for its optimisation. An overview of the applications of DNA vaccination is also presented.