Galectin-8 and GEL01 as potential adjuvants to enhance the immune response induced by a DNA vaccine against bovine alphaherpesvirus Type-1.

Bovine alphaherpesvirus-1 (BoAHV-1) causes several symptoms in cattle, leading to significant costs for the livestock industry. In this study, we used a plasmid encoding a secreted form of BoAHV-1 glycoprotein D (pCIgD) as a DNA vaccine. To enhance the potency of the pCIgD vaccine, we used Montanide™ GEL01 PR (GEL01) and introduced Galectin-8 (Gal-8), a lectin considered a novel adjuvant due to its immunostimulatory effects, into the formulation. Animals were vaccinated with pCIgD, pCIgD with Gal-8 (pCIgD-Gal-8), pCIgD with Gal-8 and GEL01 (pCIgD-Gal-8-GEL01), or the control plasmid pCIneo. The immune response was first assessed in a mouse model and then in bovines. The results showed that combining Gal-8 and GEL01 with pCIgD modulated immune responses at both the humoral and cellular levels in both animal models. This study evaluates the efficacy of a DNA vaccine with Gal-8 and GEL01 as potential adjuvants to enhance immune protection against BoAHV-1.