Adjuvanticity of the oil-in-water emulsion MF59 is independent of Nlrp3 inflammasome but requires the adaptor protein MyD88

A Seubert, S Calabro, L Santini… - Proceedings of the …, 2011 - National Acad Sciences
A Seubert, S Calabro, L Santini, B Galli, A Genovese, S Valentini, S Aprea, A Colaprico…
Proceedings of the national academy of sciences, 2011National Acad Sciences
Oil-in-water emulsions have been successfully used to increase the efficacy,
immunogenicity, and cross-protection of human vaccines; however, their mechanism of
action is still largely unknown. Nlrp3 inflammasome has been previously associated to the
activity of alum, another adjuvant broadly used in human vaccines, and MyD88 adaptor
protein is required for the adjuvanticity of most Toll-like receptor agonists. We compared the
contribution of Nlrp3 and MyD88 to the adjuvanticity of alum, the oil-in-water emulsion MF59 …
Oil-in-water emulsions have been successfully used to increase the efficacy, immunogenicity, and cross-protection of human vaccines; however, their mechanism of action is still largely unknown. Nlrp3 inflammasome has been previously associated to the activity of alum, another adjuvant broadly used in human vaccines, and MyD88 adaptor protein is required for the adjuvanticity of most Toll-like receptor agonists. We compared the contribution of Nlrp3 and MyD88 to the adjuvanticity of alum, the oil-in-water emulsion MF59, and complete Freund's adjuvant in mice using a three-component vaccine against serogroup B Neisseria meningitidis (rMenB). Although the basal antibody responses to the nonadjuvanted rMenB vaccine were largely dependent on Nlrp3, the high-level antibody responses induced by alum, MF59, or complete Freund's adjuvant did not require Nlrp3. Surprisingly, we found that MF59 requires MyD88 to enhance bactericidal antibody responses to the rMenB vaccine. Because MF59 did not activate any of the Toll-like receptors in vitro, we propose that MF59 requires MyD88 for a Toll-like receptor-independent signaling pathway.
National Acad Sciences