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Article

IL-24 Is a Promising Molecular Adjuvant for Enhancing Protective Immunity Induced by DNA Vaccination Against Toxoplasma gondii

1
The First Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo 315000, China
2
Health Science Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
These authors have contributed equally to this work.
Microorganisms 2025, 13(7), 1661; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13071661 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 10 April 2025 / Revised: 2 July 2025 / Accepted: 2 July 2025 / Published: 14 July 2025
(This article belongs to the Topic Advances in Infectious and Parasitic Diseases of Animals)

Abstract

Toxoplasma gondii, a parasitic protozoan, causes zoonotic infections with severe health impacts in humans and warm-blooded animals, underscoring the urgent need for effective vaccines to control these infections. In this study, a DNA vaccine encoding TgROP5, TgROP18, TgGRA7, TgGRA15, and TgMIC6 was formulated using the eukaryotic expression vector pVAX I. IL-24 was delivered as a molecular adjuvant using plasmid pVAX-IL-24. BALB/c, C57BL/6, and Kunming mouse strains received the DNA immunization, after which antibody levels, cytokine production, and lymphocyte surface markers were analyzed to assess immune responses. Additionally, survival rates and brain cyst counts were measured 1 to 2 months post-vaccination in experimental models of toxoplasmosis. As a result, compared to controls, the DNA vaccine cocktail significantly increased serum IgG levels, Th1 cytokine production, and proportions of CD4+/CD8+ T cells, leading to extended survival and reduced brain cyst counts post-challenge with T. gondii ME49. Furthermore, the five-gene DNA vaccine cocktail conferred greater protection compared to single-gene immunizations. Co-administration of IL-24 significantly enhanced the immune efficacy of the multi-gene DNA vaccination. Our findings suggest that IL-24 is an effective molecular adjuvant, enhancing the protective immunity of DNA vaccines against T. gondii, supporting its potential role in vaccine strategies targeting other apicomplexan parasites.
Keywords: protozoan vaccine; serological markers; Th1 immunity; T-cell activation; protective efficacy protozoan vaccine; serological markers; Th1 immunity; T-cell activation; protective efficacy

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MDPI and ACS Style

Xu, B.; Zhang, X.; Wang, Y.; Chen, J. IL-24 Is a Promising Molecular Adjuvant for Enhancing Protective Immunity Induced by DNA Vaccination Against Toxoplasma gondii. Microorganisms 2025, 13, 1661. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13071661

AMA Style

Xu B, Zhang X, Wang Y, Chen J. IL-24 Is a Promising Molecular Adjuvant for Enhancing Protective Immunity Induced by DNA Vaccination Against Toxoplasma gondii. Microorganisms. 2025; 13(7):1661. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13071661

Chicago/Turabian Style

Xu, Bohuai, Xiuqiang Zhang, Yaowen Wang, and Jia Chen. 2025. "IL-24 Is a Promising Molecular Adjuvant for Enhancing Protective Immunity Induced by DNA Vaccination Against Toxoplasma gondii" Microorganisms 13, no. 7: 1661. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13071661

APA Style

Xu, B., Zhang, X., Wang, Y., & Chen, J. (2025). IL-24 Is a Promising Molecular Adjuvant for Enhancing Protective Immunity Induced by DNA Vaccination Against Toxoplasma gondii. Microorganisms, 13(7), 1661. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13071661

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