Header menu link for other important links
X
In silico adjuvant design and validation
M.N. Davies, H. Pere, I. Bosschem, F. Haesebrouck, B. Flahou, E. Tartour, D.R. Flower, D.F. Tough,
Published in Humana Press Inc.
2017
PMID: 27718189
Volume: 1494
   
Pages: 107 - 125
Abstract
Adjuvants are substances that boost the protective immune response to vaccine antigens. The majority of known adjuvants have been identified through the use of empirical approaches. Our aim was to identify novel adjuvants with well-defined cellular and molecular mechanisms by combining a knowledge of immunoregulatory mechanisms with an in silico approach. CD4 + CD25 + FoxP3 + regulatory T cells (Tregs) inhibit the protective immune responses to vaccines by suppressing the activation of antigen presenting cells such as dendritic cells (DCs). In this chapter, we describe the identification and functional validation of small molecule antagonists to CCR4, a chemokine receptor expressed on Tregs. The CCR4 binds the chemokines CCL22 and CCL17 that are produced in large amounts by activated innate cells including DCs. In silico identified small molecule CCR4 antagonists inhibited the migration of Tregs both in vitro and in vivo and when combined with vaccine antigens, significantly enhanced protective immune responses in experimental models. © Springer Science+Business Media New York 2017.
About the journal
JournalMethods in Molecular Biology
PublisherHumana Press Inc.
ISSN10643745