MEMBRANE MIMETIC ADJUVANTS

THE USE OF ANTIBODIES IN COMMERCIAL IN VITRO IMMUNODIAGNOSTIC KITS AND IN OTHER RESEARCH IMMUNOASSAYS PLACES A REQUIREMENT ON ANTIBODY PRODUCTION FACILITIES AND RESEARCHERS TO PRODUCE SUITABLE HIGH TITERED POLYCLONAL AND MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES. ADJUVANTS ARE USED TO INCREASE THE ANTIGENICITY OF IMMUNOGENS, AND, IN THE CASE OF HUMORAL IMMUNE RESPONSE, PROVIDE FOR A CONCOMITANT INCREASE IN CIRCULATING ANTIBODIES. FREUND'S COMPLETE ADJUVANT (CFA) IS THE ONLY COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE ADJUVANT WHICH ECONOMICALLY AND CONSISTENTLY PRODUCES HIGH-TITERED ANTIBODIES IN BOTH LARGE AND SMALL ANIMALS. HOWEVER, CFA GENERATES AN UNACCEPTABLE INFLAMMATORY RESPONSE AT THE INJECTION SITE, CAUSING HOST ANIMALS PAIN AND DISTRESS. IT IS THE GOAL OF THIS RESEARCH PROGRAM TO FORMULATE NON-PHOSPHOLIPID LIPOSOMES (NPL) AS MEMBRANE MIMETIC ADJUVANTS TO OPTIMIZE ADJUVANT PROPERTIES, WHILE MINIMIZING REACTOGENICITY; AND TO SUBSEQUENTLY ENCAPSULATE SECONDARY CHEMICAL ADJUVANTS INTO THE NPL TO FURTHER ENHANCE THE ADJUVANTICITY OF THE NPL ADJUVANT. THE OPTIMIZED NPL WILL BE EVALUATED AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO FREUND'S COMPLETE ADJUVANT.