POLYETHYLENIMINE INCREASES THE IMMUNOGENICITY OF DNA-VACCINE BASED ON THE THYROSINE HYDROXYLASE GENE IN THE MOUSE MODEL OF NEUROBLASTOMA

Neuroblastoma is one of the most common solid tumors in children with a poor prognosis at the IV stage. A common marker of neuroblastoma is a high expression of tyrosine hydroxylase. DNA vaccination is a concomitant method of treatment of oncological diseases that are characterized by a high probability of long-term remission and a risk of subsequent relapse. We performed the DNA vaccination of A/J mice using a tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) design as a tumor antigen. Polyethylenimine was used as a synthetic carrier for vaccine delivery. It was shown that the conjugation of the developed vaccine with polyethylenimine increases the vaccine immunogenicity, which is manifested both in slowing the tumor progression and in activating the cellular immunity, including the cytotoxic T-cell response and the gamma-interferon production.