Sterile inflammation induced by Carbopol elicits robust adaptive immune responses in the absence of pathogen-associated molecular patterns.

Carbopol is a polyanionic carbomer used in man for topical application and drug delivery purposes. However parenteral administration of Carbopol in animal models results in systemic adjuvant activity including strong pro-inflammatory type-1 T-cell (Th1) polarization. Here we investigated potential pathways of immune activation by Carbopol by comparison with other well-characterized adjuvants. Carbopol administration triggered rapid and robust leukocyte recruitment, pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion and antigen capture largely by inflammatory monocytes. The induction of antigen specific Th1 cells by Carbopol was found to occur via a non-canonical pathway, independent of MyD88/TRIF signaling and in the absence of pattern-recognition-receptor (PRR) activation typically associated with Th1/Ig2a induction. Using multispectral fluorescence imaging (Imagestream) and electron microscopy we demonstrated that phagocytic uptake of Carbopol particles followed by entry into the phagosomal/lysosomal pathway elicited conformational changes to the polymer and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. We therefore conclude that Carbopol may mediate its adjuvant activity via novel mechanisms of antigen presenting cell activation and Th1 induction, leading to enhanced IgG2a responses independent of microbial pattern recognition.

The Carbomer-Lecithin Adjuvant Adjuplex Has Potent Immunoactivating Properties and Elicits Protective Adaptive Immunity against Influenza Virus Challenge in Mice.

The continued discovery and development of adjuvants for vaccine formulation are important to safely increase potency and/or reduce the antigen doses of existing vaccines and tailor the adaptive immune response to newly developed vaccines. Adjuplex is a novel adjuvant platform based on a purified lecithin and carbomer homopolymer. Here, we analyzed the adjuvant activity of Adjuplex in mice for the soluble hemagglutinin (HA) glycoprotein of influenza A virus. The titration of Adjuplex revealed an optimal dose of 1% for immunogenicity, eliciting high titers of HA-specific IgG but inducing no significant weight loss. At this dose, Adjuplex completely protected mice from an otherwise lethal influenza virus challenge and was at least as effective as the adjuvants monophosphoryl lipid A (MPL) and alum in preventing disease. Adjuplex elicited balanced Th1-/Th2-type immune responses with accompanying cytokines and triggered antigen-specific CD8(+) T-cell proliferation. The use of the peritoneal inflammation model revealed that Adjuplex recruited dendritic cells (DCs), monocytes, and neutrophils in the context of innate cytokine and chemokine secretion. Adjuplex neither triggered classical maturation of DCs nor activated a pathogen recognition receptor (PRR)-expressing NF-κB reporter cell line, suggesting a mechanism of action different from that reported for classical pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP)-activated innate immunity. Taken together, these data reveal Adjuplex to be a potent and well-tolerated adjuvant with application for subunit vaccines.

Polyethyleneimine is a potent mucosal adjuvant for viral glycoprotein antigens.

Protection against mucosally transmitted infections probably requires immunity at the site of pathogen entry, yet there are no mucosal adjuvant formulations licensed for human use. Polyethyleneimine (PEI) represents a family of organic polycations used as nucleic acid transfection reagents in vitro and DNA vaccine delivery vehicles in vivo. Here we show that diverse PEI forms have potent mucosal adjuvant activity for viral subunit glycoprotein antigens. A single intranasal administration of influenza hemagglutinin or herpes simplex virus type-2 (HSV-2) glycoprotein D with PEI elicited robust antibody-mediated protection from an otherwise lethal infection, and was superior to existing experimental mucosal adjuvants. PEI formed nanoscale complexes with antigen, which were taken up by antigen-presenting cells in vitro and in vivo, promoted dendritic cell trafficking to draining lymph nodes and induced non-proinflammatory cytokine responses. PEI adjuvanticity required release of host double-stranded DNA that triggered Irf3-dependent signaling. PEI therefore merits further investigation as a mucosal adjuvant for human use.

Potent adaptive immune responses induced against HIV-1 gp140 and influenza virus HA by a polyanionic carbomer.

Carbopol is a polyanionic carbomer gel used in man for a variety of topical applications and drug delivery purposes. Here we show that subcutaneous administration of carbopol with glycoprotein antigens elicits unusually strong specific adaptive immune responses in mice. Recombinant soluble HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env)-based antigen formulated in carbopol was at least as potent at stimulating Env-specific B and T cell responses as Freund's Complete Adjuvant, and significantly more potent than aluminium salts. The antigen-specific T cell immune response elicited both Th1 and Th2 cytokines including high titers of IFN-gamma, IL-2 and IL-4, and drove a Th1 isotype-switched antibody response. Mice immunized with a low dose of purified influenza HA in carbopol generated high titers of anti-HA antibodies and were protected from lethal challenge and disease with live virus. Similarly, immunization of mice with the melanoma cell line B16F10 formulated in carbopol significantly delayed tumor growth. We propose that carbopol, or related cross-linked polyacrylic acid analogues, may have promise for use as systemic vaccine adjuvants in man.