Although recent research shows that DNA plasmids and protein boosters can induce protective immunity, it is critical to demonstrate that this protection extends to virulent, lethal strains of retroviruses similar to those that infect humans. Plasmids do integrate into the chromosomes of dividing cells and can thus be replicated each time the cells reproduce. This is another key point in the safety of DNA vaccines. By integrating into the chromosomes of division-capable cells, foreign genes, whether introduced as plasmids or by viral infection, have can upset the genetic control mechanisms that turn cellular genes on and off. Moreover, transfecting DNA plasmids into non-dividing cells eliminates all possibility of the plasmid genes being carried to other locations within the body.
Muscle cells stay put, and so do the plasmids within.
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