This paper describes the bacterial expression and purification of bioactive recombinant ovine interleukin-2 (rovIL-2), interleukin-la (rovlL-la) and tumour necrosis factor a. These purified proteins had specific activities in appropriate bioassays of 1x10^, 1 x lO' and 1x10^ U/mg, respectively. Recombinant ovIL-la was assessed as an immunological adjuvant for the sheep response to the model protein avidin. Wben delivered either intradermally or intramuscularly in conjunction with avidin in aluminium hydroxide the rovIL-la significantly enhanced the secondary humoral response. Doses of 1, 10 or 100 |ig per sheep enhanced the humoral response to a similar extent. Recombinant ovIL-ip had similar adjuvant activity in that it was demonstrated to significantly enhance the sheep humoral response to an experimental H. contortus antigen. This increase in specific antibody, however, did not correlate with enhanced protection against infection with third stage H. contortus larvae. In addition incorporation of rovIL-1 P into the formulation was shown not to alter the isotype profile of H. contortus antigen specific antibody.

In recent months as vaccines against the SARS-CoV-2 virus continue to rollout across the globe, there has been a renewed interest in ways to activate or ignite the immune system. For a vaccine to be effective, it must be immunogenic and specific to provoke the body's defenses to mount an effective response that protects the host from disease. However, there are other situations wherein the immune system mounts an unwanted immune response that can be detrimental to health, either directly, by causing an autoimmune disease, or indirectly, by compromising the safety and/or efficacy of biologic drugs. In these scenarios, it would be desirable to have a ‘tolerogenic vaccine’ that could selectively and effectively mitigate these unwanted immune responses. ImmTORTM, a nanoparticle technology, is being developed to address the issue of immunogenicity for gene therapy vectors and other biologic drugs. By targeting antigen-presenting cells, ImmTORTM has the potential to amplify the efficacy of biologic therapies and unlock the full potential of such treatments to improve the lives of those who suffer from serious and debilitating diseases.

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