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Updated: Jun 15, 2026

Evaluating the Immune Response of a Nanoemulsion Adjuvant Vaccine Against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) Infection
Published on: September 1, 2023
The controversial relationship between NLRP3, alum, danger signals and the next-generation adjuvants
Roberto Spreafico1, Paola Ricciardi-Castagnoli, Alessandra Mortellaro
1Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A STAR), Singapore.
Abstract:
Alum has been the only adjuvant licensed for human vaccines for decades and is still widely used, but its mechanism of action remains obscure. Recently, the NLRP3 inflammasome has been linked to the immunostimulatory properties of alum and other particulate adjuvants, although it is disputed to what degree NLRP3 is genuinely essential in vivo. Meanwhile, researchers are testing adjuvants harnessing both the infectious/non-infectious-discriminating TLR and the danger-sensing NLRP3 inflammasome pathways. Could this be the basis of a long-needed rationale in the design of adjuvants?
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