One of priority issues of the present-day healthcare system is development of new vaccines and improvement of existing ones due to decreasing immunocompetence of the population, emergence of new infections and reemergence of old ones which were previously thought to be under control. Adjuvants have proven to be integral and important components of modern vaccines, as they enhance immune response to the vaccine antigen. However, despite a lot of effort put into their development, only a small number of adjuvants are currently used in clinical practice.The aim of the study was to systematise literature data on the adjuvants’ mechanisms of action, their specific structure, composition, and stimulation effects that mediate their immunoadjuvant properties. The paper summarises data on adjuvants used as components in licensed vaccines, describes their characteristics, analyses molecular mechanisms of their action in order to establish correlation between their structure and activity, which is important for the development of more efficacious and safe adjuvants. The paper cites advanced developments aimed at enhancing stimulation effects of existing adjuvants. It concludes by stating that the key research area aimed at improving vaccination efficacy is the study of mechanisms that contribute to the development of effective protection against infectious agents, as well as analysis of how to use adjuvants to stimulate the body’s defensive mechanisms, primarily by impacting the innate immunity.
The review is devoted to specific aspects of the development of post-vaccination immunity following immunisation with different types of antiviral vaccines, as well as to ways of increasing immunogenicity of vaccines and effectiveness of preventive vaccination. Vaccines containing highly purified and recombinant antigens obtained using modern technologies have lower reactogenicity and a higher safety profile, but are less immunogenic compared to live vaccines. Effective vaccines have not been developed for many viral infections yet. Therefore, it is critical to search for ways to enhance immunogenic properties of vaccines in order to increase the efficiency of vaccination, and to develop new vaccine formulations that provide reliable protection of the body against infection. The aim of the paper was to analyse specific aspects of immune response development following immunisation with antiviral vaccines, and approaches to increasing their immunogenicity using adjuvants. It reviews different types of antiviral vaccines, as well as specific aspects of immune response development depending on the nature of a specific antigen. The paper substantiates the use of adjuvants to enhance and regulate the induced immune response. It analyses mechanisms that determine the stimulating effect of adjuvants and summarises data on the adjuvants used in the licensed vaccines for human use. The authors highlight the need for further research to increase the efficiency of vaccination and suggest that one of potential solutions is the use of adjuvants based on recombinant human cytokines.
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