Chapter 62 - Use of CpG Oligonucleotides as Mucosal Adjuvants

Abstract

Mucosal surfaces are the portals of entry for a wide variety of pathogenic organisms. Vaccines that induce potent antigen-specific mucosal immunity can prevent infections across such surfaces. The success of mucosal vaccines largely depends on the choice of coadministered adjuvant. Cholera toxin and heat labile enterotoxin have been extensively studied for use as mucosal vaccine adjuvants. However, the toxicity associated with these bacterially derived molecules necessitates development of alternative mucosal adjuvants with a good safety profile coupled with potent immunostimulatory activity. Synthetic oligodeoxynucleotides expressing unmethylated CpG motifs represent one such class of emerging mucosal adjuvant and are the focus of this review.