Figure 3: Peptides Fba-8MAP and Met6-8MAP administered along with the human approved adjuvant alum induced modest protection against candidiasis. (A) Serum samples were collected 14 days after immunization, diluted 1:200 and tested by ELISA on plates coated with synthetic Fba-8MAP and Met6-8MAP. After the first booster, immune serum from mice immunized with peptide-8MAP prepared in alum showed that antibody responses to the peptides Fba or Met6 were about 4-5 fold greater than that of sera from groups that received DPBS or adjuvant only. However, the peptide specific antibody responses induced by peptide- MAP system were relatively weaker as compared to that induced by peptide pulsed DC immunization approach. (B) After challenge with a lethal dose of live C. albicans cells (3153A), the groups vaccinated with Fba-8MAP or Met6-8MAP mixed with alum had prolonged survival times as compared to two control groups (p< 0.01); however, the protection was not as strong as that induced by the peptide pulsed DC approach. (C) Being consistent with prolonged survival times, all the immunized groups had reduced live fungal cells in their kidneys as compared to controls (P< 0.001). Fba-DC and Met6-DC groups had the least CFUs in kidneys among all the vaccinated groups.