OBJECTIVESTo prepare and purify NogoA vaccination for treatment of spinal cord injury. To study the safety and immune effect of this vaccination.

METHODSArtificial NogoA-13 polypeptide was coupled with KLH to improve the immunogenicity of vaccination. Sixty three-week-old Wistar female rats were divided into 3 groups randomly. Group A was immunized with NogoA vaccination, group B with incomplete freund's adjuvant + complete freund's adjuvant; group C with KLH. Rats received abdominal cavity immunization. The level of antibody and the binding capability were detected with ELISA. The safety of vaccination was evaluated by the incidence and severity of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE).

RESULTSThe IgG antibody against the NogoA-13 polypeptide had been detected with ELISA in group A. A value of serum presented regular gradient during multiple proportion dilution. In group B and C, no antibodies were detected. The statistical significant difference in A value was revealed between group A and B, C group. No statistical significant difference was found in A value between group B and group C and non-immunized negative control serum. The features of EAE were not found in the immunized rats.

CONCLUSIONSNogoA polypeptide vaccination can stimulate the antibody against the polypeptide. The immune effect of this vaccination is confirmed by binding reaction revealed in the ex vivo experiment. The good safety of vaccination is revealed by no features of EAE found in the immunized rats.