and 7a shoWs the effect of pine cone
administration on vaccination effects measured by IFN
gamma production by murine CD8+ and CD4+ splenocytes.
The peptide portion of HIV p7g is a stimulant that T cells
recogniZe, speci?cally CD8+ T cells. Recombinant p24=
gag=Whole gag protein is the stimulant and is recogniZed by
CD4+ T cells. The response to p24 is optimal for CD4+ T
cells. The data shoW that both oral and intramuscular admin
istration of pine cone extracts during or immediately after
vaccination With a nucleic acid vaccine enhances the acti
vation of CD8+ cells (panels “pCIGag/PCE fed” and
“pCIGag/PCE coinj”). The enhancement is signi?cantly
stronger than for vaccine (pCIGag) administered Without
pine cone extract adjuvant (panel “pCIGag alone”) or con
trol “vaccination” DNA (panel “pCICAT/PCE fed”). Again, no signi?cant differences are observed betWeen pine cone
extracts obtained according to method 1 and method 2.