We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Medicine

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What Is a DNA Vaccination?

Mary McMahon
By
Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 3,682
Share

A Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) vaccination uses segments of DNA to get cells in the body to produce an antigen so the immune system can learn to recognize it. This offers a number of advantages over traditional vaccination and became a topic of much interest among researchers in the 1990s. There are also some potential risks with DNA vaccination, necessitating careful clinical trials for proposed products to determine if they perform as expected and identify potential complications.

This process starts with isolating a section of coding DNA from an infectious organism and inserting it into a plasmid, a ring of DNA that can be used as a vector. Bacteria naturally produce plasmids to exchange genetic information with each other, and specially modified plasmids can be used to carry DNA into living cells. Plasmids are injected into a patient, where they enter the cells, which interpret the DNA and start producing the antigen.

As the antigen is expressed, the immune system recognizes it and starts to make antibodies. When it sees the antigen again, as will occur when the patient is exposed to an infectious organism, it can immediately go on the attack. One potential drawback of a DNA vaccination is that it cannot be used to teach the immune system to recognize the polysaccharides found on the cell walls of some organisms, and thus cannot entirely replace older vaccination methods.

A significant advantage of the DNA vaccination method is that the production process can be very generic, once the relevant strings of DNA are isolated. Labs don’t have to use special procedures for each disease they want to protect patients from, and instead can make large batches of plasmids with different strands of DNA as needed. These vaccines are also much more stable, making them easier to ship and store in medical facilities. This can be a special concern in developing nations, where vaccines may be compromised on long trips and in medical clinics without refrigeration.

It’s also possible to administer a large batch of vaccinations at once in a single DNA vaccination session and to provide lasting protection with no need for boosters. This can increase patient compliance with vaccine recommendations because people don’t have to come back for multiple visits. The DNA vaccination also does not seem to carry the risks associated with attenuated vaccines, which contain weakened versions of living organisms that could potentially become virulent under the right conditions.

Share
WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Mary McMahon
By Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a WiseGeek researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Editors' Picks

Discussion Comments
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a...

Learn more
Share
https://www.wisegeek.net/what-is-a-dna-vaccination.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.