title: The ISCOM: an immunostimulating complex.
abstract: Vaccine development is based largely upon the use of killed or live attenuated organisms. But most of the components of an organism are irrelevant to the generation of an immune response and some may be positively harmful. Vaccines based on protective antigens have also had a chequered history, largely because of poor antigen immunogenicity and the obligatory use of damaging quantities of adjuvant. Here Bror Morein and colleagues report on an alernative vaccine vehicle -the immunostimulating complex (ISCOM). Composed of the adjuvant Quil A and immunizing peptides, ISCOM particles contain low concentrations of adjuvant and can significantly enhance immunogenicity. If early successes are confirmed, ISCOMs may be significant part of the future vaccine programmes.
authors.affiliation: The National Veterinary Institute, Department of Virology, Biomedical Centre, Box 585, S-751 23 Uppsala, Sweden; The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Section of Virology, Biomedical Centre, Box 585 S-751 23 Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Morein
authors.affiliation: The National Veterinary Institute, Department of Virology, Biomedical Centre, Box 585, S-751 23 Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lövgren
authors.affiliation: The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Section of Virology, Biomedical Centre, Box 585 S-751 23 Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Höglund
authors.affiliation: The National Veterinary Institute, Division of Vaccine Research, Box 7073, S-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sundquist