A preliminary evaluation of alternative adjuvants to alum using a range of established and new generation vaccine antigens

• Published in: Vaccine 2006-03, Vol.24 (10), p.1680-1686
• Main Authors: Singh, Manmohan, Ugozzoli, Mildred, Kazzaz, Jina, Chesko, James, Soenawan, Elawati, Mannucci, Donatella, Titta, Francesca, Contorni, Mario, Volpini, Gianfranco, Guidice, Giuseppe Del, O’Hagan, Derek T.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adjuvants, Immunologic - pharmacology; Adsorption; Alum; Alum Compounds - pharmacology; Animals; Antigens; Applied microbiology; Biological and medical sciences; Calcium Phosphates - pharmacology; CAP; Clostridium tetani; Corynebacterium diphtheriae; Diphtheria Toxoid - immunology; Emulsions; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens - immunology; Hepatitis B virus; Immunization; l-Tyrosine; Lactic Acid - pharmacology; Meningococcal Vaccines - immunology; MF59 emulsion; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Microbiology; Particle Size; PLG microparticles; Polyglycolic Acid - pharmacology; Polymers - pharmacology; Polysorbates - pharmacology; Squalene - pharmacology; Tetanus; Tetanus Toxoid - immunology; Vaccines; Vaccines - immunology; Vaccines, antisera, therapeutical immunoglobulins and monoclonal antibodies (general aspects)
• ISSN: 0264-410X; 1873-2518
• DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2005.09.046

Although alum is the most commonly used vaccine adjuvant, it has some limitations for use with the next generation recombinant antigens. We explored the use of alternative adjuvant formulations (poly lactide co-glycolide (PLG) microparticles, MF59 emulsion, CAP and l-tyrosine suspension) in comparison with five different vaccine antigens—namely, diphtheria toxoid (DT), tetanus toxoid (TT), HBsAg, Men C conjugate and MB1. The results indicated that although alum was optimal for bacterial toxoid based vaccines, it was not highly potent for MB1, Men C or HBsAg antigens. MF59 emulsion stood out as a good alternative to alum for TT, HBsAg, MB1 and Men C vaccines. On the other hand l-tyrosine suspension and CAP did not enhance immune responses over alum with most antigens. PLG microparticles were comparable or better than alum with both MB1 and Men C conjugate vaccine. The study indicates that it is possible to replace alum with other adjuvant formulations like MF59 and PLG and maintain and/or improve immune responses with some vaccine antigens.