The Promises Of DNA Vaccines
DNA Vaccines
One of the most important health advances of the 20th Century has been immunization, and except for safe drinking water, vaccinology has more effectively reduced mortality than any other modality and reducing many infectious diseases to rare occurrences (Simmerman pg). For example, before the measles vaccine was introduced in 1963, epidemics occurred every two to three years, and by the mid-1980's there were an average of 2,900 cases reported each year (Simmerman pg). Then in 1989-1991, incidences increased to 55,622, leading the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and the American Academy of Pediatrics to recommend U.S. children receive two doses of the ...
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advances in biotechnology, DNA vaccines have become the most promising area of vaccinology (Simmerman pg). During the past decade, DNA vaccines, also called nucleic acid or genetic vaccines, have gone from theory to reality and have several advantages (Simmerman pg). They are easy to produce, are inexpensive, are less sensitive to heat than live vaccines, and are not susceptible to reversion (Simmerman pg). Moreover, they may also prove safer for immunocompromised patients, and "their use circumvents the problem of protein purification common to recombinant, protein-based vaccines" (Simmerman pg). Effective in small quantities with or without adjuvants, "DNA vaccines can be administered orally, epidermally, muscosally (oral, intranasal, vaginal), intramuscularly, and intravenously" (Simmerman pg).
Furthermore, vaccinologists are able to "control the type of antigen produced and how it will be presented to the host immune cells," thus, tailor DNA vaccines for specific ...
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disease, such as inducing cell-medicated immunity to bowel, or breast cells that express cancer antigens, thus causing the body to identify and kill tumor cells (Simmerman pg). In fact, researchers are now studying DNA vaccines for cervical cancer (Simmerman pg). For over a decade, investigators have been extensively using animal models to research DNA vaccines and recent trials have used small numbers of humans to determine treatment tolerance and immune response (Simmerman pg). Since the majority of these trials are phase I, they focus on safety and do not measure efficacy, however, in trials for hepatitis B, herpes, HIV, malaria, adenocarcinoma of the breast and colon, and ...
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The Promises Of DNA Vaccines. (2016, March 29). Retrieved November 28, 2024, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Promises-Of-DNA-Vaccines/105511
"The Promises Of DNA Vaccines." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 29 Mar. 2016. Web. 28 Nov. 2024. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Promises-Of-DNA-Vaccines/105511>
"The Promises Of DNA Vaccines." Essayworld.com. March 29, 2016. Accessed November 28, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Promises-Of-DNA-Vaccines/105511.
"The Promises Of DNA Vaccines." Essayworld.com. March 29, 2016. Accessed November 28, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Promises-Of-DNA-Vaccines/105511.
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