Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Lipid bilayer
Figure 13.15
Generalized liposome structure. Refer to text for details
but it appears to be associated with their hydrophobicity. Liposomes are likely to gain more wide-
spread use as adjuvants when technical diffi culties, associated with their stability and consistent/
reproducible production, are resolved.
ISCOMs are stable (non-covalent) complexes composed of a mixture of Quil A, cholesterol and
(an amphipathic) antigen. ISCOMs stimulate both humoral and cellular immune responses and
have been used in the production of some veterinary vaccines. Their use in humans, however, has
not been licensed so far, mainly due to safety concerns relating to the Quil A component.
In summary, therefore, a whole range of adjuvants have thus far been identifi ed/developed.
Problems of toxicity have precluded the use of many of these adjuvants (particularly in humans).
However, research efforts continue in an attempt to develop the next generation of safe and, hope-
fully, even more effective vaccine adjuvants.
Further reading
Books
Amyes, S. 2002.
Tumor Immunology
. Taylor and Francis.
Eisenstein, T. (ed.). 2003.
Hepatitis B, the Virus, the Disease and the Vaccine
. Kluwer.
Grossbard, M. 1998.
Monoclonal Antibody Based Therapy of Cancer
. Dekker.
Hackett, C. and Harn, D. 2003.
Vaccine Adjuvants
. Humana Press.
Harris, W. 1997.
Antibody Therapeutics
. CRC Press.
Kontermann, R. 2001.
Antibody Engineering
. Springer Verlag.
Lo, B. 2003.
Antibody Engineering
. Humana Press.
Plotkin, S. 1999.
Vaccines
. W.B. Saunders.
Powell, M. 1995.
Vaccine Design: The Subunit and Adjuvant Approach
. Plenum.
Stern, P. 2000.
Cancer vaccines and immunotherapy
. Cambridge University Press.
Subramanian, G. (ed.). 2004.
Antibodies
. Kluwer.
Wood row, G. 1997.
New Generation Vaccines
. Marcel Dekker.
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