T-cell adjuvants

T-cell adjuvancy involves the use of agents to stimulate preferentially delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH). Traditional adjuvants like Alum, Freunds, muramyl peptides, and endotoxins are not selective. Natural infection (e.g. vaccinia) may yield selective DTH. Low dose cyclophosphamide (CY) with mycobacteria was the first experimental T-cell adjuvant. New adjuvant formulations (ISCOMS, MAPS, etc.) with synthetic T-cell epitopes offer improved formulations. Upregulation of TH-1 helper cells and their actions with interleukins like IL-2, IL-12, and gamma IFN or antibodies to IL-4 and IL-10 may augment potently pathogen and tumor resistance. Similarly, transfection of tumor target cells with genes for IL-2, IL-12, gamma IFN, etc., offers novel vaccine treatment approaches. Finally, "thymomimetic" peptides like thymosin alpha 1 or drugs like levamisole or isoprinosine alone or in conjunction with interleukins may augment TH-1 and DTH responses. These approaches are seeing increasing emphasis in new treatment strategies for cancer and infections like HIV.