An Overview of Immunologic Adjuvants - A Review

Abstract

With the onset of antigen production using biosynthetic and rDNA techniques, the need to administer adjuvants along with vaccines has increased remarkably. This search for accompanying adjuvants has resulted in a multitude of molecules from mineral salts to bacterial polysaccharides and Immuno stimulatory complexes that range considerably in efficacy. Moreover, the adjuvant molecule is specific to its antigen molecule and hence has to be tailored suitably to maximise efficacy and safety, maintaining the cost at a minimum. This paper explores the characteristics of these molecules, their mode of action and the advancements in the field.