What is an adjuvant? Classification and Mechanism of Adjuvants

English: assistant

Adjuvants are substances that can enhance or change the immune response of the body to antigens at the same time or in advance.

There are many kinds of adjuvants; Such as aluminum hydroxide adjuvant, Corynebacterium parvum, lipopolysaccharide, cytokine, alum, etc. Freund's complete adjuvant and Freund's incomplete adjuvant are the most commonly used adjuvants in animal experiments at present.

Function:

Adjuvant can increase the surface area of antigen, prolong the retention time of antigen in the body, and make antigen have sufficient contact time with lymphocytes, so it has many functions:

(1) transforming non-antigenic substances into effective antigens;

(2) raise circulating antibody level or produce more effective protective immunity;

(3) changing the type of circulating antibody produced;

(4) Enhance the ability of cell-mediated hypersensitivity;

(5) experimental autoimmune or other abnormal diseases;

(6) Protect antigens (especially DNA and RNA) from the decomposition of enzymes in the body.