A micro-sterile inflammation array as an adjuvant for influenza vaccines

Ji Wang,D. Shah,Xinyuan Chen,R. R. Anderson,R. R. Anderson,Mei X. Wu,Mei X. Wu

Published 2014 in Nature Communications

ABSTRACT

There is an urgent need of adjuvants for cutaneous vaccination. Here, we report that micro-sterile inflammation induced at inoculation sites can augment immune responses to influenza vaccines in animal models. The inoculation site is briefly illuminated with a handheld, non-ablative fractional laser before the vaccine is intradermally administered, which creates an array of self-healing microthermal zones (MTZs) in the skin. The dying cells in the MTZs send ‘danger’ signals that attract a large number of antigen-presenting cells, in particular, plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) around each MTZ forming a micro-sterile inflammation array. A pivotal role for pDCs in the adjuvanticity is ascertained by significant abrogation of the immunity after systemic depletion of pDCs, local application of a TNF-α inhibitor or null mutation of IFN regulatory factor7 (IRF7). In contrast to conventional adjuvants that cause persistent inflammation and skin lesions, micro-sterile inflammation enhances efficacy of influenza vaccines, yet with diminished adverse effects. There is a need of improved adjuvants for influenza vaccines. Here, the authors describe an adjuvant strategy using micro-fractional laser treatment combined with a topical cream containing a TLR 7 ligand that can enhance the immune response to intradermal vaccination with transient, constrained local inflammation.

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