Fusing subunit antigens to interleukin-2 and encapsulating them in liposomes improves their antigenicity but not

J R Wales1, M A Baird, N M Davies

  • 1The Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand.

Vaccine
|March 10, 2005
PubMed

Subunit vaccines commonly lack sufficient immunogenicity to stimulate a comprehensive protective immune response in vivo. We have investigated the potential of specific cytokines (interleukin-2) and particulate delivery systems (liposomes) to enhance antigenicity. Here we report that the IgG1 and IFN-gamma responses to a subunit antigen, consisting of a T and B-cell epitope from Influenza haemagglutinin, can be improved when it is both fused to interelukin-2 and encapsulated in liposomes. However, this vaccine formulation was not able to protect animals against a challenge with live Influenza A/PR/8/34 virus. The addition of more potent immune stimulators may be necessary to improve responses.

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