title: Marine gastropod hemocyanins as adjuvants of non-conjugated bacterial and viral proteins.
abstract: Killed viral vaccines and bacterial toxoids are weakly immunogenic. Numerous compounds are under evaluation as immunological adjuvants and peptide-carriers to improve the immune response. The hemocyanins, giant extracellular copper proteins in the blood of many mollusks, are widely used as immune stimulants. In the present study we investigated the adjuvant properties of hemocyanins isolated from marine gastropods Rapana thomasiana and Megathura crenulata. An immunization with Influenza vaccine or tetanus toxoid combined with Rapana thomasiana hemocyanin (RtH) and Keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) in mice induced an anti-influenza cytotoxic response lasting at least 5 months and an antibody response to viral proteins. The IgG antibody response to the tetanus toxoid (TT) combined with RtH or KLH was comparable to the response of the toxoid in complete Freund's adjuvant. The results obtained demonstrate that the both hemocyanins are acceptable as potential bio-adjuvants for subunit vaccines.
authors.affiliation: The Stephan Angeloff Institute of Microbiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad G Bonchev Str 26, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria.
authors.forename: Vera
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gesheva
authors.forename: Krassimira
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Idakieva
authors.forename: Nikola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kerekov
authors.forename: Kalina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nikolova
authors.forename: Nikolina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mihaylova
authors.forename: Lyuba
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Doumanova
authors.forename: Andrey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tchorbanov
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D002460:Cell Line; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D049851:Gastropoda / Q000378:metabolism*; D006433:Hemocyanins / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009975:Orthomyxoviridae; D013745:Tetanus Toxoid / Q000276:immunology; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D007252:Influenza Vaccines; D013745:Tetanus Toxoid; D014764:Viral Proteins; D006433:Hemocyanins