Adjuvant activity of cordycepin, a natural derivative of adenosine from Cordyceps militaris, on an inactivated rabies vaccine in an animal model
Xin Chen,
Boyu Liao,
Tianci Ren,
Zhipeng Liao,
Zijie Huang,
Yujuan Lin,
Shouhao Zhong,
Jiaying Li,
Shun Wen,
Yingyan Li,
Xiaohan Lin,
Xingchen Du,
Yuhui Yang,
Jiubiao Guo,
Xiaohui Zhu,
Haishu Lin,
Rui Liu,
Jingbo Wang
Affiliations
Xin Chen
College of Pharmacy, Shenzhen Technology University, Shenzhen, 518118, China; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518118, China
Boyu Liao
College of Pharmacy, Shenzhen Technology University, Shenzhen, 518118, China; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518118, China
Tianci Ren
College of Pharmacy, Shenzhen Technology University, Shenzhen, 518118, China
Zhipeng Liao
College of Pharmacy, Shenzhen Technology University, Shenzhen, 518118, China
Zijie Huang
College of Pharmacy, Shenzhen Technology University, Shenzhen, 518118, China
Yujuan Lin
College of Pharmacy, Shenzhen Technology University, Shenzhen, 518118, China
Shouhao Zhong
College of Pharmacy, Shenzhen Technology University, Shenzhen, 518118, China
Jiaying Li
College of Pharmacy, Shenzhen Technology University, Shenzhen, 518118, China
Shun Wen
College of Pharmacy, Shenzhen Technology University, Shenzhen, 518118, China
Yingyan Li
College of Pharmacy, Shenzhen Technology University, Shenzhen, 518118, China
Xiaohan Lin
College of Pharmacy, Shenzhen Technology University, Shenzhen, 518118, China
Xingchen Du
College of Pharmacy, Shenzhen Technology University, Shenzhen, 518118, China
Yuhui Yang
College of Pharmacy, Shenzhen Technology University, Shenzhen, 518118, China; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518118, China
Jiubiao Guo
College of Pharmacy, Shenzhen Technology University, Shenzhen, 518118, China
Xiaohui Zhu
College of Pharmacy, Shenzhen Technology University, Shenzhen, 518118, China
Haishu Lin
College of Pharmacy, Shenzhen Technology University, Shenzhen, 518118, China; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518118, China
Rui Liu
Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China; Corresponding author.
Jingbo Wang
College of Pharmacy, Shenzhen Technology University, Shenzhen, 518118, China; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518118, China; Corresponding author. College of Pharmacy, Shenzhen Technology University, Shenzhen, 518118, China.
Vaccination is the most feasible way of preventing rabies, an ancient zoonosis that remains a major public health concern globally. However, administration of inactivated rabies vaccination without adjuvants is always inefficient and necessitates four to five injections. In the current study, we explored the adjuvant characteristics of cordycepin, a major bioactive component of Cordyceps militaris, to boost immune responses against a commercially available rabies vaccine. We found that cordycepin could stimulate stronger phenotypic and functional maturation of dendritic cells (DCs). For animal experiments, mice were immunized 3 times with rabies vaccine in the presence or absence of cordycepin at 1-week interval. Analysis of T cell differentiation and serum antibody isotypes showed that humoral immunity was dominant with a Th2 biased immune response. These results were also supported by the raised ratio of follicular helper T cells (TFH) and germinal center B cells (GCB). Thus, titer of rabies virus neutralizing antibody (RVNAb) and rabies virus-specific memory B cells were both raised as a result. Furthermore, administration of cordycepin did not cause pathological phenomena or body weight loss. The findings indicate that cordycepin could be used as a promising adjuvant for rabies vaccines to get a higher range of protection without any side effects.
