| Abstract | Protective immunity to intracellular bacterial pathogens usually requires the participation of specific CD8+ T cells. Natural exposure of the host to sublethal infection, or vaccination with attenuated live vaccines are the most effective means of eliciting prolonged protective cell-mediated immunity against this class of pathogens. The ability to replace these immunization strategies with defined sub-unit vaccines would represent a major advance for clinical vaccinology. The present study examines the ability of novel liposomes, termed archaeosomes, made from the polar lipids of various Archaeobacteria to act as self-adjuvanting vaccine delivery vehicles for such defined acellular antigens. Using infection of mice with Listeria monocytogenes as a model system, this study clearly demonstrates the ability of defined, archaeosome-entrapped antigens to elicit rapid and prolonged specific immunity against a prototypical intracellular pathogen. In this regard, all of the tested archaeosomes were superior to conventional liposomes. |
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