Immunization with DNA vaccines and hRSV n protein nanoparticles

• Grant number: 12/10969-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 27, 2012
• End date: December 26, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: Armando Morais Ventura
• Grantee: Fabiana Lauretti Ferreira
• Supervisor: Sabine Riffault
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), France
• Associated to the scholarship: 10/18724-7 - Construction and immune response evaluation of a T CD8 multiepitope DNA vaccine against Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus., BP.IC

Abstract

This proposal aims to establish cooperation with Dr. Sabine Riffault and Dr. Jean-François Eléouët at the Department of Molecular Virology and Immunology, INRA, for training on immunization techniques and immune response analysis in a short period stage. To this end, we plan to run two experiments of immunization against hRSV. The first using DNA vaccines composed by CD8 multi epitope constructions obtained during the development of our scientific initiation project. In another experiment we will use a DNA vaccine expressing the viral nucleoprotein (N) gene, obtained in our lab, in association with an N nanoparticle obtained at INRA. This nanoparticle consists of N protein expressed in bacteria isolated as an N-RNA complex. These two experiments will be done in mice monitoring cellular and humoral immune responses. At the end animals will be challenged with hRSV strain A2 and protection effect evaluated by the viral load measurement in lungs. (AU)