Nanoalum adjuvanted vaccines: small details make a big difference

Raponi, A., Brewer, J. M. , Garside, P. and Laera, D. (2021) Nanoalum adjuvanted vaccines: small details make a big difference. Seminars in Immunology, 56, 101544. (doi: 10.1016/j.smim.2021.101544) (PMID:34895823)

Abstract

Purified vaccine antigens offer important safety and reactogenicity advantages compared with live attenuated or whole killed virus and bacterial vaccines. However, they require the addition of adjuvants to induce the magnitude, duration and quality of immune response required to achieve protective immunity. Aluminium salts have been used as adjuvants in vaccines for almost a century. In the literature, they are often referred to as aluminium-based adjuvants (ABAs), or aluminium salt-containing adjuvants or more simply “alum”. All these terms are used to group aluminium suspensions that are very different in terms of atomic composition, size, and shape. They differ also in stability, antigen-adsorption, and antigen-release kinetics. Critically, these parameters also have a profound effect on the character and magnitude of the immune response elicited. Recent findings suggest that, by reducing the size of aluminium from micro to nanometers, a more effective adjuvant is obtained, together with the ability to sterile filter the vaccine product. However, the behaviour of aluminium nanoparticles in vaccine formulations is different from microparticles, requiring specific formulation strategies, as well as a more detailed understanding of how formulation influences the immune response generated. Here we review the current state of art of aluminium nanoparticles as adjuvants, with a focus on their immunobiology, preparation methods, formulation optimisation and stabilisation.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Garside, Professor Paul and Brewer, Professor James and Raponi, Arianna
• Authors: Raponi, A., Brewer, J. M., Garside, P., and Laera, D.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Infection & Immunity
• Research Centre: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Infection & Immunity > Centre for Immunobiology
• Journal Name: Seminars in Immunology
• Publisher: Elsevier
• ISSN: 1044-5323
• ISSN (Online): 1096-3618
• Published Online: 09 December 2021
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2021 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Seminars in Immunology 56: 101544
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License