IL-12 as an adjuvant for cell-mediated immunity.
Recent studies have shown that IL-12 initiates the development of cell-mediated immunity following infection with certain infectious agents. This attribute of IL-12 makes it a potentially effective adjuvant for vaccines. This review summarizes our findings in the Leishmania system, outlining the role of endogenous IL-12 in resistance to L. major and the use of exogenous IL-12 in a vaccine against L. major, and also describes other examples in which IL-12 has been shown to be effective as an adjuvant at inducing protective immunity. The potential use of IL-12 as an adjuvant in therapeutic vaccines is also discussed.
Scott
P
P
Department of Pathobiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia 19104, USA.
Trinchieri
G
G
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000502:physiology; D007896:Leishmaniasis / Q000276:immunology; D016052:Protozoan Vaccines / Q000276:immunology; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000502:physiology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000502:physiology
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D016052:Protozoan Vaccines; D018664:Interleukin-12