The Adjuvant Effect of Interleukin-12 in a Vaccine Against Leishmania major

• DOI: 10.1126/science.7904381
• Publication Date: 2006-10-06T00:01:25Z
• Authors: Luis C. C. Afonso; Tanya M. Scharton; Leda Q. Vieira; Maria Wysocka; Giorgio Trinchieri; Phillip Scott
• Keywords: Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; Protozoan Vaccines; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Mice, Inbred C3H; Interleukins; Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous; Antigens, Protozoan; T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer; Interleukin-12; 3. Good health; Killer Cells, Natural; Interferon-gamma; Mice; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Adjuvants, Immunologic; Animals; Interleukin-4; Lymph Nodes; Spleen; Leishmania major

Protection induced by vaccination depends on the capacity of the vaccine to elicit an appropriate immune response. In leishmaniasis, protection requires leishmanial-specific CD4 + T helper (T H ) cells. Vaccination of BALB/c mice with leishmanial antigens and interleukin-12 (IL-12) promoted the development of leishmanial-specific CD4 + T H 1 cells. These mice were resistant to subsequent infection with Leishmania major . Thus, IL-12 is an effective adjuvant for the initiation of protective cell-mediated immunity against leishmaniasis and may be an important component in other vaccines that need to induce cell-mediated immunity.