Adjuvants

ADJUVANTS

  • Adjuvants [adjuvare (Latin) = to help]. Adjuvants are substances that when mixed with an antigen and injected, it serve to enhance the immunogenicity.
  • They are often used to boost the immune response when an antigen has low immunogenicity or when only small amount of antigen is available. Ajuvants augment the immune response by one or more of the following effects.
    • Prolong antigenic persistence
    • Enhance co-stimulatory signal
    • Induce granuloma formation
    • Stimulate lymphocyte proliferation non specifically.
  • e.g: Alum, Aluminium hydroxide,Bacterial LPS, Saponin, IL-12, Montanide, Freund’s adjuvant etc.
  • Freund’s incomplete adjuvant contains a mineral oil and an emulsifying agent such as mannide monooleate.
  • Freund’s complete adjuvant contains in addition heat killed Mycobacteria and it is more potent than incomplete adjuvant.
Last modified: Friday, 23 September 2011, 10:27 AM