Abstracts (complete list) - Wissenschaft Online

Kai Schulze, Thomas Ebensen, Karina Watzke, Michael Morr, Carlos Guzman
The second messenger 5′GMP is a promising adjuvant for
vaccine development
Vaccination by the mucosal route usually requires the use of specific adjuvants in order
to stimulate efficient immune responses. Unfortunately, there are only a few molecules
exhibiting this property, and, up to now, there is no candidate licensed for human use.
Thus, there is an urgent need to develop new adjuvants. In the present work we
demonstrate that 5′ guanosine monophosphate (5´GMP), a second messenger which
modulates the cell surface properties of several microorganisms, acts as a potent
mucosal adjuvant. Co-administration of 5´GMP with the model antigen ß-galactosidase
(β-gal) to BALB/c mice by intranasal route resulted in 2,300-fold increased ß-galspecific
serum IgG titers respect to what observed in animals immunized with β-gal
alone. Strong antigen-specific secretory IgA responses were also measured in lung
lavages (p=0.003). The analysis of both the major antigen-specific IgG isotypes in sera
and the cytokines secreted by splenocytes restimulated ex vivo with β-gal suggested
that a mixed Th1/Th2-response pattern was promoted in vaccinated mice. The obtained
results suggest that 5´GMP constitutes a promising candidate adjuvant for the
establishment of immune prophylactic interventions.