A DNA Vaccine Formulation In Cationic Liposome Vehicle Useful For Maximizing Vaccine Potency For Leishmaniasis.

• The effective dose of TLR agonist MPLA in liposomal form is about 35 times lower than that of MPL-TDM.
• This vaccine can be used with or without any existing drug for prophylaxis and therapy against leishmaniases for generating immuity.

Prophylactic application of a DNA vaccine entrapped in cationic liposome with MPLA as an immune stimulator resulting in successful adaptive immunity against leishmaniasis with induction of protective immunity against parasite.

We herein report, for the first time, novel cationic liposomes containing monophosphoryl lipid A (MPLA) intercalated into the 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DSPC) lipid bilayer as an adjuvant for a DNA vaccine to enhance antileishmanial immunity. Interestingly, this MPLA-liposomal formulation strongly amplified the Leishmania donovani cysteine protease C (Ldcpc) DNA vaccine (i.e., pVAX1- cpc)-induced polyfunctional CD4+ and CD8+ T cells together with antibody responses with a Th1 biased profile. MPLA-liposomes could also activate the splenic DCs in vivo in BALB/c mice, for robust protective immunity against VL.