May 23, 2013
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - A new generation of more effective vaccines for many diseases may be possible due to a discovery by University of Louisville researchers.
A U-of-L team has explained in the journal "Science," how one vaccine additive generates stronger and longer-lasting immunity than a vaccine alone.
Vaccines rely on a one-two punch in which antigens trigger an immune-system response while additives, called adjuvants (ADD'-ju-vants), strengthen the response. But some adjuvants have toxic side effects, making them unsafe for human use.
The Louisville researchers demonstrated that one adjuvant, called M-P-L-A, boosted immune-system responses in mice without toxic side effects.
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