A DNA vaccine targeting the receptor-binding domain of Clostridium difficile toxin A

Clostridium difficile is a pathogen with increasing severity for which host antibody responses provide protection from disease. DNA vaccination has several advantages compared to traditional vaccine methods, however no study has examined this platform against C. difficile toxins. A synthetic gene was created encoding the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of C. difficile toxin A, optimized for expression in human cells. Gene expression was examined in vitro. Mice were inoculated and then challenged with parenteral toxin A. Vaccination provided high titer antibodies and protected mice from death. This represents the first report of DNA vaccine inducing neutralizing antibodies to C. difficile toxin A.