title: Adjuvant effect of human growth hormone with an inactivated flavivirus vaccine.
abstract: Vaccines made by inactivating pathogenic microorganisms have been dramatically successful in controlling diseases in humans and animals. Despite their successes, they have a major disadvantage in that several inoculations are required for them to be effective. To overcome this problem, a commercial inactivated vaccine preparation against tickborne encephalitis was combined with human growth hormone (HGH). This formulation produced complete protection in a murine model with only one dose of vaccine, apparently by binding hormone and antigen to an insoluble matrix containing aluminium hydroxide. Thus it is postulated that when virus-specific lymphocytes are attracted to the site of injection, the hormone is at a high local concentration and stimulates the clonal expansion of antigen-specific T cells. The development of genetically engineered HGH now gives unlimited supplies of hormone, potentially resulting in an increase in efficacy of a wide variety of vaccines, especially those needing prolonged immunization schedules such as those being developed to combat human immunodeficiency virus infection.
authors.affiliation: Division of Biologics, Center for Applied Microbiology and Research (CAMR), Salisbury, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Stephenson
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bailey
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Shepherd
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Melling
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004306:Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; D004669:Encephalitis Viruses, Tick-Borne / Q000276:immunology*; D004675:Encephalitis, Tick-Borne / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D015164:Vaccines, Inactivated; D014765:Viral Vaccines
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D015164:Vaccines, Inactivated; D014765:Viral Vaccines; D013006:Growth Hormone