Toxoplasma gondii Antigen-Pulsed-Dendritic Cell-Derived Exosomes Induce a Protective Immune Response against T. gondii Infection

F Aline, D Bout, S Amigorena, P Roingeard… - Infection and …, 2004 - Am Soc Microbiol
F Aline, D Bout, S Amigorena, P Roingeard, I Dimier-Poisson
Infection and immunity, 2004Am Soc Microbiol
It was previously demonstrated that immunizing mice with spleen dendritic cells (DCs) that
had been pulsed ex vivo with Toxoplasma gondii antigens triggers a systemic Th1-biased
specific immune response and induces protection against infection. T. gondii can cause
severe sequelae in the fetuses of mothers who acquire the infection during pregnancy, as
well as life-threatening neuropathy in immunocompromised patients, in particular those with
AIDS. Here, we investigate the efficacy of a novel cell-free vaccine composed of DC …
Abstract
It was previously demonstrated that immunizing mice with spleen dendritic cells (DCs) that had been pulsed ex vivo with Toxoplasma gondii antigens triggers a systemic Th1-biased specific immune response and induces protection against infection. T. gondii can cause severe sequelae in the fetuses of mothers who acquire the infection during pregnancy, as well as life-threatening neuropathy in immunocompromised patients, in particular those with AIDS. Here, we investigate the efficacy of a novel cell-free vaccine composed of DC exosomes, which are secreted antigen-presenting vesicles that express functional major histocompatibility complex class I and II and T-cell-costimulatory molecules. They have already been shown to induce potent antitumor immune responses. We investigated the potential of DC2.4 cell line-derived exosomes to induce protective immunity against toxoplasmosis. Our data show that most adoptively transferred T. gondii-pulsed DC-derived exosomes were transferred to the spleen, elicited a strong systemic Th1-modulated Toxoplasma-specific immune response in vivo, and conferred good protection against infection. These findings support the possibility that DC-derived exosomes can be used for T. gondii immunoprophylaxis and for immunoprophylaxis against many other pathogens.
American Society for Microbiology