In the past I have talked about the need for people to prevent diseases by getting vaccinated (past articles of interest 1, 2, and 3.) Vaccinations are very important and have saved literally millions of lives. The smallpox vaccine first used in 1789 eliminated smallpox from the face of the earth. Measles and polio are rarely if ever seen because of worldwide vaccination.
Currently, vaccines are made up of either a weakened or killed version of the disease-causing organism or a component of the organism, such as inactivated toxins (proteins that cause damage to our bodies) or other proteins. The injection or oral administration of these vaccines causes our immune system to protect us from the diseases we are vaccinated against.
Several properties of these vaccines make them very expensive. Component vaccines have to be purified before they can be used. Purification can be very expensive. Weakened versions of a disease-causing organism can occasionally cause disease and should not be used to immunize pregnant women. Several vaccines must be refrigerated to remain active. The so-called "cold chain" is very difficult and expensive to maintain. Some vaccines do not give life-long protection and have to be given at certain intervals throughout our entire lives. An example is the tetanus vaccine that should be given every 10 years to prevent you from getting lockjaw following a deep, dirty puncture wound. Unfortunately, many people are not able or willing to make the repeated trips to the doctor's office to get all the necessary immunizations. The cost of vaccination has also made it very difficult on developing countries to protect their people.
New hope of solving these problems may be just around the corner. A report released by the American Academy of Microbiology, The Scientific Future of DNA for Immunization describes a new kind of vaccine called (A press release of the report). The report is based on a group of 25 international experts in microbiology, infectious diseases and immunology who gathered together last year to discuss this exciting new vaccination. "Recent results obtained from DNA vaccine testing in animal models suggest that this new technology may revolutionize the vaccination of humans," says Harriet Robinson of Emory University. "Already we have been able to induce immune responses against diarrhea-causing viruses, malarial parasites and tuberculosis."
DNA vaccines differ from vaccines currently used in that just the DNA coding for a specific component of a disease-causing organism is injected into the body. The DNA can be given either as a shot (injection) or on DNA-coated gold beads propelled into the body using a special machine called a gene gun. The
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