Strategies to link innate and adaptive immunity when designing vaccine adjuvants

• Published in: Veterinary immunology and immunopathology Vol. 128; no. 1-3; pp. 184 - 191
• Main Authors: Garlapati, Srinivas, Facci, Marina, Polewicz, Monika, Strom, Stacy, Babiuk, Lorne A., Mutwiri, George, Hancock, Robert E.W., Elliott, Melissa R., Gerdts, Volker
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 15-03-2009; Amsterdam: Elsevier
• Subjects: Adjuvants; Adjuvants, Immunologic - pharmacology; animal diseases; animal models; Animals; Bordetella pertussis; CpG oligonucleotides; drug delivery systems; Drug Design; drug formulations; Host defence peptides; host defense peptides; human diseases; Humans; immune response; Immunity, Active - immunology; Immunity, Innate - immunology; immunization; immunomodulators; Innate immunity; literature reviews; microencapsulation; neonates; new technology; Oligodeoxyribonucleotides - immunology; oligonucleotides; Organophosphorus Compounds - immunology; Ovalbumin - chemistry; Particle Size; pathogen recognition receptors; peptides; pertussis; piglets; Polymers - chemistry; Polyphosphazenes; receptors; swine; vaccine adjuvants; vaccine development; vaccines; Vaccines - administration & dosage; Vaccines - chemistry; Vaccines - immunology; Innate immunity; Adjuvants; Polyphosphazenes; Host defence peptides
• ISSN: 0165-2427; 1873-2534
• DOI: 10.1016/j.vetimm.2008.10.298

Adjuvants are important components of vaccine formulations. Their functions include the delivery of antigen, recruitment of specific immune cells to the site of immunization, activation of these cells to create an inflammatory microenvironment, and maturation of antigen-presenting cells for enhancement of antigen-uptake and -presentation in secondary lymphoid tissues. Adjuvants include a large family of molecules and substances, many of which were developed empirically and without knowledge of their specific mechanisms of action. The discovery of pattern recognition receptors including Toll-like-, nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD)- and mannose-receptors, has significantly advanced the field of adjuvant research. It is now clear that effective adjuvants link innate and adaptive immunity by signaling through a combination of pathogen recognition receptors (PRRs). Research in our lab is focused towards the development of novel adjuvants and immunomodulators that can be used to improve neonatal vaccines for humans and animals. Using a neonatal pig model for pertussis, we are currently analyzing the effectiveness of host defence peptides (HDPs), bacterial DNA and polyphosphazenes as vaccine adjuvants.