Epidermal injury and infection during poxvirus immunization is crucial for the generation of highly protective T cell-mediated immunity.

ABSTRACT: Variola major (smallpox) infection claimed hundreds of millions lives before it was eradicated by a simple vaccination strategy: epicutaneous application of the related orthopoxvirus vaccinia virus (VACV) to superficially injured skin (skin scarification, s.s.). However, the remarkable success of this strategy was attributed to the immunogenicity of VACV rather than to the unique mode of vaccine delivery. We now show that VACV immunization via s.s., but not conventional injection routes, is essential for the generation of superior T cell-mediated immune responses that provide complete protection against subsequent challenges, independent of neutralizing antibodies. Skin-resident effector memory T cells (T(EM) cells) provide complete protection against cutaneous challenge, whereas protectio

SUBMITTER: Liu L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3070948 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature