The main groups of adjuvants and the prospects of their use for the specific prevention of particularly dangerous and other infectious diseases

Abstract

The purpose of this review is to analyze scientific data on the adjuvant properties of substances of various origin and chemical nature (adjuvants) published in recent decades and to evaluate the effectiveness of their use in the vaccination against various infections, including particularly dangerous ones. The analysis of the literature data available in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, eLibrary databases, indicates that the search for new substances and drugs with the ability to enhance the immune response to antigens that are part of antibacterial and antiviral registered vaccines, as well as experimental preventive drugs, is an important and promising direction. The use of various substances and compounds as adjuvants enhances the immunogenic and protective properties of vaccines, reduces the antigenic load on the human body and causes a tense immune response in individuals with reduced functioning of immune system and in the elderly. When choosing an adjuvant, it is necessary to take into account the direction of its action on the formation of both local and systemic specific immune response, depending on the nature of the pathogen.

Keywords

• adjuvants
• vaccines
• specific prophylaxis
• cellular and humoral immune response
• bacterial and viral infections
• especially dangerous infections