The immunological adjuvant and vaccine carrier properties of liposomes

Animal immunization studies by numerous laboratories have shown that liposomes promote humoural and cell-mediated immunity to a wide spectrum of bacterial, protozoan and viral antigens as well as tumour cell antigens, venoms and allergens. Adjuvanticity depends on liposomal structural characteristics which determine vesicle fate in vivo and, thus, the mode of antigen interaction with antigen-presenting cells. Adjuvanticity is further promoted by receptor mediated targeting of liposomes to macrophages, or the presence of other adjuvants including cytokines. The immunoadjuvant function of liposomes is supplemented by their ability to act as a carrier for co-entrapped B and T-cell epitopes, thus eliminating the need for a carrier protein. Recently, a technique has been developed for the entrapment of live or attenuated microbial vaccines into giant liposomes under conditions which retain their viability. Liposomes containing microbial vaccines (together with other soluble antigens or cytokines) could be used as carriers of vaccines in cases where there is a need to prevent interaction of vaccines with maternal antibodies or preformed antibodies to vaccine impurities.