An Overview of Adjuvants and Their Interaction with the Immune System

Abstract

Vaccines have been under development for over two centuries and have significantly contributed to the decline in infectious diseases and mortality rates by eliciting targeted immune responses against pathogens. Adjuvants, while typically non-immunogenic, play a vital role in modulating immune responses when combined with vaccines, reducing the necessary vaccine dosage and enhancing immune memory. Generally, vaccines are formulated with appropriate adjuvants to strengthen the immune response to the vaccine antigen and to assess their potential in preventing disease spread. Additionally, adjuvants are crucial in steering both humoral and cell-mediated immune responses to foster pathogenspecific immunity. There is an increasing emphasis on utilizing advanced technologies to develop novel vaccines aimed at problematic pathogens, particularly those that show limited efficacy with conventional vaccines and outdated production techniques. An ideal adjuvant should exhibit minimal to no adverse effects and ensure safety for both short-term and long-term applications. This article provides a concise overview of adjuvants, examining their significance in autoimmune diseases, especially concerning disease progression and related challenges. Acknowledging the growing skepticism surrounding vaccines in recent years is important, with some research supporting this perspective. Furthermore, we explore the function of adjuvants in cancer vaccines, categorized as therapeutic rather than preventive, noting the substantial advancements achieved in this area.