Objective To construct and evaluate a novel PAMAM dendrimer vector-DNA vaccine for schistosomiasis japonica.Methods Lysine was used to modify 4.0G PAMAM.and the modified product PAMAM-Lys was synthesized.Agarose gel electrophoresis was used to confirm the composite ratio of plasmid DNA and dendrimer.Micrestructure of the compound was observed by using transmission electronic microscopy,and the stability was analyzed by using electrophoresis.The viability of the cells transfected with dendrimers was evaluated by using a MTT technique in vitro.Fiftyty mice were immunized with purified plasmid pJW4303,pJW4303-Sj23 dendrimer PAMAM-Lys and compound PAMAM-Lys/pJW4303-Sj23,respectively.The specific antibodies of the mice in each group were detected to access the immunoreactivity.Results The agarese gel electrophoresis showed that when the charge ratio of the dendrimer vector and DNA was between 2 and 4,the positive and negative charges could be counteraeted completely,and the compound was blocked completely by DNA electrophoresis.The obscrvation results with transmission electronic microscopy showed that the composition of dendrimer vector and DNA caused shrink of DNA structure.Dendrimer-DNA compound had a good stability.MTT showed the modified dendrimer vector and DNA compound system produced a lower cell toxicity on 293T cell than the unmodified Ones.Thk levels of specific antibodies of the mice immunized with PAMAM-Lys/pJW4303Sj23 were significantly higher than those of the mice immunized with naked DNA vaccine(P<0.05).Conclusions The lysinemodified PAMAM-lys is an excellent vector,and has an appropriate biocompatibility.Lysine-modification can reduce the cell toxicity of PAMAM dendrimer significantly.PAMAM-Lys can enhance the immunoreactivity of DNA vacmine which merits further application in schistosomiasis DNA vaccine.