title: Towards an understanding of the adjuvant action of aluminium.
abstract: The efficacy of vaccines depends on the presence of an adjuvant in conjunction with the antigen. Of these adjuvants, the ones that contain aluminium, which were first discovered empirically in 1926, are currently the most widely used. However, a detailed understanding of their mechanism of action has only started to be revealed. In this Timeline article, we briefly describe the initial discovery of aluminium adjuvants and discuss historically important advances. We also summarize recent progress in the field and discuss their implications and the remaining questions on how these adjuvants work.
authors.affiliation: HHMI, Integrated Department of Immunology, National Jewish Health, University of Colorado Health Science Center, Denver, Colorado 80262, USA. marrackp@njhealth.org
authors.forename: Philippa
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Marrack
authors.forename: Amy S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: McKee
authors.forename: Michael W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Munks
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000327:Adsorption / Q000276:immunology; D000535:Aluminum / Q000276:immunology*; D017607:Aluminum Compounds / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D000941:Antigens / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D053468:CARD Signaling Adaptor Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D020170:Caspase 1 / Q000502:physiology; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D018448:Models, Immunological; D000071199:NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D017607:Aluminum Compounds; D000941:Antigens; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D053468:CARD Signaling Adaptor Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D000071199:NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein; C453881:NLRP3 protein, human; C492716:Nlrp3 protein, mouse; C402202:PYCARD protein, human; C498534:Pycard protein, mouse; D000535:Aluminum; D020170:Caspase 1