Inflammasome-Mediated Immunogenicity of Clinical and Experimental Vaccine Adjuvants (2020, Vaccines)

Common vaccine adjuvants, such as aluminium salts, saponins, and emulsions, work by activating the inflammasomes - multi-protein complexes that trigger innate responses by releasing specific immune-signalling molecules (such as the IL-1 family of cytokines). These cytokines can drive both cellular and antibody-based (humoral) immunity, making inflammasomes a key target in vaccine adjuvant development.
This review examines how different inflammasomes mediate the immune response triggered by vaccine adjuvants, focusing on the mechanisms and capacity to generate immunity, and highlighting the clinically used adjuvants that activate the NLRP3 inflammasome. We also discuss experimental adjuvants that activate different inflammasomes (NLRP3, NLRC4, AIM2, pyrin, and non-canonical), which could lead to improved vaccines in the future.