Systemic priming-boosting immunization with a trivalent plasmid DNA and inactivated murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) vaccine provides long-term protection against viral replication following systemic or mucosal MCMV challenge

We previously demonstrated that vaccination of BALB/c mice with a pool of 13 plasmid DNAS (pDNAs) expressing murine cytomegalovirus (MCW) genes followed by formalin-inactivated MCW (FI-MCMV) resulted in complete protection against viral replication in the spleen and salivary glands following sublethal intraperitoneal (i.p.) challenge. Here, we found that following intranasal (i.n.) challenge, titers of virus in the lungs of the immunized mice were reduced approximately 1,000-fold relative to those for mock-immunized controls. We next sought to extend these results and to determine whether similar protection levels could be achieved by priming with a pool of three pDNAs containing three key plasmids (IE1, M84, and gB). We found that the three-pDNA priming elicited IE1- and M84-p65-specific CD8(+) T lymphocytes and, following FI-MCMV boost, high levels of virion-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) and virus-neutralizing antibodies. When mice were i.n. challenged 4 months after the last boost, titers of virus in the lungs of immunized mice were reduced 1,000- to 2,000-fold from those for controls during the peak of viral replication. Additionally, titers of virus were either at or below the detection limits for the salivary glands, liver, and spleen of the majority of the immunized mice. Following sublethal i.p. challenge, virus was undetectable in all of the above target organs of the immunized mice. Virion-specific IgA in the lungs was consistently detected by day 6 post-i.n. challenge for the immunized mice and by day 14 for controls. These results demonstrate the immunity and high levels of protection of the priming-boosting vaccination against both systemic and mucosal challenge.