title: The impact of size on particulate vaccine adjuvants.
abstract: Particulate adjuvants have been successful at inducing increased immune responses against many poorly immunogenic antigens. However, the mechanism of action of these adjuvants often remains unclear. As more potential vaccine targets are emerging, it is becoming necessary to broaden our knowledge on the factors involved in generating potent immune responses to recombinant antigens with adjuvants. While composition of adjuvants is integral in defining the overall performance of an adjuvant, some physical parameters such as particle size, surface charge and surface modification may also contribute to the potency. In this review, we will try to highlight the role of particle size in controlling the immune responses to adjuvanted vaccines, with a focus on insoluble aluminum salts, oil-in-water emulsions, polymeric particles and liposomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Ruchi R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Derek T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: O'Hagan
authors.forename: Mansoor M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Amiji
authors.forename: Luis A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Brito
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D008081:Liposomes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010316:Particle Size; D014612:Vaccines / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000941:Antigens; D008081:Liposomes; D014612:Vaccines
keywords: APCs; adjuvants; alum; antigen-presenting cells; emulsions; immunogenicity; liposomes; particle size; polymeric particles; vaccines