DNA Vaccine: Elements, Advantages, Disadvantages, Difference from other Vaccines!

A vaccine is a biological product designed to protect humans from pathogens. It lowers your chances of getting sick by strengthening your immune system. When you receive a vaccination, your immune system reacts and produces specific antibodies. However there are numerous methods for developing vaccines, but they are all broadly classified by - How the antigens/active components are prepared to trigger a specific immune response against the microbe. 

The field of DNA vaccines is rapidly evolving. A DNA vaccine is a type of vaccine in which a specific antigen-coding DNA sequence is injected into the cells of an organism in order to trigger an immune response.

This topic of ‘DNA Vaccine' is important from the perspective of the UPSC IAS Examination, and falls under General Studies Paper 3 (Mains) and General Studies Paper 1 (Preliminary) and particularly in the Science & Technology section. 

In this article, we shall discuss the DNA Vaccine, Its Elements, Advantages, and Disadvantages; how is this different from conventional and mRNA Vaccines, etc.

What is DNA Vaccine?

DNA vaccines are third-generation vaccines that use engineered DNA to stimulate an immune response in the body against either a specific pathogen or cancer cell. DNA vaccines are a promising alternative to traditional vaccine approaches because they use engineered plasmids, which are small circular DNA molecules that trigger an immune response. These genetically engineered plasmids contain DNA sequence encoding for specific antigens (proteins) and rely on the in situ production of the antigens against the target pathogen, resulting in a protective immunological response. For instance, the recently created COVID-19 DNA vaccine ZyCoV-D, which has been approved in India, is made up of a plasmid that contains the gene for the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.

Elements of DNA Vaccine

The elements of a DNA vaccine typically include a plasmid DNA of a bacteria that contain the genetic sequence for the targeted antigen.

The plasmids used in DNA-based vaccination generally contain two key elements:

• The antigen expression unit, which is composed of regulatory sequences that control the expression of the antigen-encoding sequence.
• The production unit, which contains sequences necessary for plasmid replication and selection. 

Recombinant DNA technology is used to create bacterial plasmids with vaccine inserts.

Also, read about the National Biopharma Mission here!

How is DNA Vaccine Different from Conventional Vaccines?

The goal of DNA vaccines is the same as that of traditional vaccines, but they work slightly differently. DNA vaccines, rather than injecting a weakened form of a virus or bacteria into the body, use genetically engineered plasmids of a specific DNA sequence into the infected organism to create an immune response.

Also, read about the Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus here!

How Do DNA Vaccines Differ From mRNA Vaccines?

Here are some differences between DNA and mRNA Vaccines.

Also, read about the COVID Suraksha - 19 Vaccine Development Mission here!

What are the advantages of DNA vaccines? 

Here are some major advantages of DNA vaccines:

• It wouldn't be able to spread the disease because it wouldn't contain the microbe, only copies of a few of its genes.
• DNA vaccines are relatively simple and inexpensive to design and manufacture.
• Long-term immunity.
• Safety: DNA vaccines do not contain live or attenuated pathogens, reducing the risk of infection or disease caused by the vaccine itself.
• Immune response for a specific antigen.
• Stability: DNA vaccines are generally stable at room temperature and do not require refrigeration, which can simplify storage and shipping.

Also, read about the National Rural Health Mission(NRHM) here!

What are the disadvantages of DNA vaccines? 

Here are some major disadvantages of DNA Vaccines:

• The risk of affecting genes that control cell growth.
• Repeated doses are required.
• Lower immunogenicity than an inactivated vaccine. 
• Limited to the protein antigens.
• No mass application for animals, etc.

Also, read about the National Digital Health Mission here!

Conclusion

DNA vaccines represent an innovative and promising approach to vaccination that has the potential to offer several advantages over conventional vaccine types. They are relatively easy and cost-effective to produce, can induce strong and long-lasting immune responses, and are generally considered safer due to their non-infectious nature.

Also, read about the Ayushman Bharat & Its Components here!

UPSC Previous Year Questions

Q1. What is the basic principle behind vaccine development? How do vaccines work? What approaches were adopted by the Indian vaccine manufacturers to produce COVID-19 vaccines? (UPSC Mains 2022, GS Paper 3)

Check out the Test Series for UPSC IAS Exam here. 

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