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TY - JOUR AU - Yang, Zhi-yong AU - Kong, Wing-pui AU - Huang, Yue AU - Roberts, Anjeanette AU - Murphy, Brian R. AU - Subbarao, Kanta AU - Nabel, Gary J. PY - 2004 DA - 2004/04/01 TI - A DNA vaccine induces SARS coronavirus neutralization and protective immunity in mice JO - Nature SP - 561 EP - 564 VL - 428 IS - 6982 AB - Public health measures have successfully identified and contained outbreaks of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus (SARS-CoV)1,2,3,4,5, but concerns remain over the possibility of future recurrences. Finding a vaccine for this virus therefore remains a high priority. Here, we show that a DNA vaccine encoding the spike (S) glycoprotein of the SARS-CoV induces T cell and neutralizing antibody responses, as well as protective immunity, in a mouse model. Alternative forms of S were analysed by DNA immunization. These expression vectors induced robust immune responses mediated by CD4 and CD8 cells, as well as significant antibody titres, measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Moreover, antibody responses in mice vaccinated with an expression vector encoding a form of S that includes its transmembrane domain elicited neutralizing antibodies. Viral replication was reduced by more than six orders of magnitude in the lungs of mice vaccinated with these S plasmid DNA expression vectors, and protection was mediated by a humoral but not a T-cell-dependent immune mechanism. Gene-based vaccination for the SARS-CoV elicits effective immune responses that generate protective immunity in an animal model. SN - 1476-4687 UR - https://doi.org/10.1038/nature02463 DO - 10.1038/nature02463 ID - Yang2004 ER -