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Clin. Vaccine Immunol. doi:10.1128/CVI.00413-07
Copyright (c) 2008, American Society for Microbiology and/or the Listed Authors/Institutions. All Rights Reserved.

Co-encapsulation of CpG ODN with rLmSTI1 in liposome enhances immune response and protection in immunized BALB/c mice against leishmaniasis

School of Pharmacy, Biotechnology Research Center and Pharmaceutical Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran; Center for Research and Training in Skin Diseases and Leprosy, Medical Sciences/University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: khamesipour_ali{at}yahoo.com.

	Abstract

CpG oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG ODN) are shown to have a potent adjuvant activity for a wide range of antigens. The purpose of this study was to determine the potential benefit of using liposomes as a delivery vehicle to enhance adjuvant activity of CpG ODN for Leishmania major strees-inducible protein 1 (LmSTI1) antigen in induction of Th1 response in murine model of leishmaniasis. BALB/c mice were immunized subcutaneously 3 times in 3 week intervals with liposomal rLmSTI1 (Lip-rLmSTI1), rLmSTI1 co-encapsulated with CpG ODN in liposome (Lip-rLmSTI1-CpG ODN), rLmSTI1 plus CpG ODN in PBS, rLmSTI1 plus Non-CpG ODN in PBS, rLmSTI1 in PBS, empty liposome or PBS. The intensity of infection induced by L. major promastigotes challenge was measured by footpad swelling and it was shown a significant (P < 0.001) inhibition of infection in mice immunized with Lip-rLmSTI1-CpG ODN compared to the other groups and no parasite was detected in the spleens of this group at 14 after challenge. The highest level of IgG2a titer and IgG2a/IgG1 ratio was also shown in the sera of mice immunized with Lip-rLmSTI1-CpG ODN before and at 14 weeks after challenge. The results indicated the superiority of CpG ODN in liposomal over soluble form to induce Th1 response when used in association with rLmSTI1 antigen. It seems that using liposome delivery system carrying CpG ODN as an adjuvant co-encapsulated with Leishmania antigen plays an important role in vaccine development strategy against leishmaniasis.