Induction of immune responses and protection in mice against rabies using a self-replicating RNA vaccine encoding rabies virus glycoprotein

A self-replicating RNA vaccine encoding rabies virus glycoprotein gene was developed utilizing sindbis virus RNA replicon. The in vitro transcribed RNA (Sin-Rab-G RNA) was transfected in mammalian cells and analysed for self-replication and expression of rabies glycoprotein. To generate immune responses against rabies, mice were immunized with 10 μg of Sin-Rab-G RNA and immune responses developed were compared with mice immunized with rabies DNA vaccine and commercial cell culture vaccine (Rabipur). The self-replicating rabies RNA vaccine generated cellular and humoral IgG responses similar to rabies DNA vaccine. On challenge with rabies virus CVS strain, rabies RNA vaccine conferred protection similar to rabies DNA vaccine. These results demonstrated that replicon-based self-replicating rabies RNA vaccine with 10 μg dose was effective in inducing immune responses and protection similar to rabies DNA vaccine.