VACCINE

Journal Of Leukocyte Biology • February 2000
Particulate adjuvants can induce macrophage survival,
DNA synthesis, and a synergistic proliferative response
to GM-CSF and CSF-1
Author information
Hamilton JA1, Byrne R, Whitty G.
Inflammation Research Centre, University of Melbourne
Department of Medicine, The Royal Melbourne Hospital
Parkville, Victoria, Australia
j.hamilton@medicine.unimelb.edu.au
Abstract
The mode of action of immunological adjuvants is not yet completely understood.
Many are particulate. Certain antigen-presenting (dendritic) cell populations belong to
the monocyte/macrophage lineage and, like other members of the lineage, in some tissues
appear to be short-lived. We report that many poorly degradable, particulate adjuvants,
for example, aluminum hydroxide, oil-in-water emulsions, calcium phosphate,
and silica, enhance murine bone marrow-derived macrophage survival; induction of
DNA synthesis was even observed. No evidence could be found for a requirement for
endogenous granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) or macrophage-CSF
(M-CSF or CSF-1). Synergy for the proliferative effects was noted in the
presence of added GM-CSF or CSF-1. It is suggested from these in vitro findings that
one function of certain particulate adjuvants may be to increase by enhanced survival
or even proliferation the number of cells available for subsequent antigen presentation
and cytokine production.
“The mode of action
of immunological adjuvants
is not yet completely understood.”
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=10670584