Module 9 2021

23/03/2021

What is an adjuvant?

 Adjuvants may be added to a vaccine to enhance and modulate the immune response ● e.g. by helping to produce a higher amount of antibodies and/or a longer- lasting protection or improve the immune response in older adults  For example they can induce:  a strong immune response to complex diseases like malaria 1  long-term protection against the HPV virus causing cervical cancer 2  a broader immune response for a pre-pandemic flu vaccine 1  Aluminium-based compounds (principally aluminium phosphate or hydroxide) remain the predominant human adjuvants  But there are new adjuvants being licensed as part of new vaccines ● e.g. QS-21 is a saponin extracted from the bark of the Quillaja saponaria tree; Monophospholipid (MPL)

1. Garçon N. et al , GlaxoSmithKline Adjuvant Systems in vaccines in Expert Rev.Vaccines 6(5 ), 2007, pp.723-739 ; 2. Garçon N. and Goldman M., Boosting Vaccine Power, in Scientific American , October 2009 , pp. 72-79.

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Adjuvanted Vaccines – Immune Response

Vaccine with Adjuvant System

Vaccine without adjuvant

Amplitude

Time

(not applicable to live vaccines)

Adapted from ref: Pulendran B. et al – Cell 2006; 124:849-863

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