AUTHOR=Kim Hyunjung , Yu Jigui , Bai Di , Nahm Moon H. , Wang Pengfei 

TITLE=Potentiating pneumococcal glycoconjugate vaccine PCV13 with saponin adjuvant VSA-1

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Immunology

VOLUME=13

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2022.1079047

DOI=10.3389/fimmu.2022.1079047

ISSN=1664-3224

ABSTRACT=<p>VSA-1 is a semisynthetic saponin adjuvant prepared from naturally occurring <italic>Momordica</italic> saponin and capable of stimulating antigen-specific humoral and cellular immune responses. Its immunostimulating activity in enhancing the immune responses induced by the clinical glycoconjugate pneumococcal vaccine PCV13 is compared with QS-21 in female BALB/c mice. Both VSA-1 and QS-21 boosted IgG and opsonic antibodies titers against seven selected serotypes, including serotypes 3, 14, and 19A that are involved in most PCV13 breakthroughs. Since VSA-1 is much more accessible and of lower toxicity than QS-21, it can be a practical saponin immunostimulant to be included in a new glycoconjugate pneumococcal vaccine formulation.</p>