What exactly is a genetic vaccine and how does it differ from a DNA vaccine?

[MedLine]

Is a genetic vaccine simply another word for a genetic engineering/genetic recombination? It is part of a question on my microbio. homework but we have never talked about the exact phrase "genetic vaccine" so I am a little confused as to what exactly it is referring to. Thanks for the help!

Medline

 

[jim mcnamara]

I take it to mean a vaccine derived from the genetic material of a pathogen. Ask your prof for a better answer - the one he expects you to know.

See an old overview clip meant for a general audience:
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=000BAB9A-99E7-1CD6-B4A8809EC588EEDF

There has been a lot of research on them since 1999. Maybe Moonbear knows if there are extant vaccines. I do not.

 

[iansmith]

Genetic vaccine are also called DNA vaccine.

As far as the vaccine goes, it's all clinical or in animal trials. There is no commercial vaccine available.

 

[jim mcnamara]

Ian -
Are there no RNA vaccines? Or more correctly no possiblilty of them...

 

[iansmith]

I think there's some RNA vaccines in clinical trials, it's probably why the term Genetic vaccine are now name so. I learned all about DNA vaccine as an undergrad but RNA never came up.