Adjuvant-Mediated Immune Stimulation (e.g., MF59, AS03)

Adjuvants like MF59 and AS03 are substances added to vaccines to enhance the body's immune response to an antigen. They are squalene-based oil-in-water emulsions that induce local tissue inflammation, leading to recruitment of innate immune cells, enhanced antigen presentation, and priming of adaptive immune responses, resulting in robust antibody production and balanced Th1/Th2 helper T cell responses. They are used in influenza vaccines and other vaccines to improve efficacy, particularly in populations with weaker immune responses. Common side effects relate to local reactogenicity.

Other names

MF59 adjuvantAS03 adjuvantSqualene emulsion adjuvantAdjuvanted vaccine responseVaccine adjuvant effect

Induction of local tissue inflammation at the injection site, leading to recruitment of innate immune cells, cytokine production, enhanced antigen uptake/presentation by APCs, APC activation/maturation, and migration of activated APCs to draining lymph nodes to prime adaptive immune responses.