Innate Immunity-Based Mucosal Modulators and Adjuvants

Abstract The development of mucosally administered vaccines remains a goal of many researchers who desire to develop a needle-free method of immunization that can induce antigen-specific immune responses in both systemic and mucosal tissues. The coadministration of adjuvants is often required to maximize the induction of protective immunity following mucosal vaccination, especially when subunit immunogens are used. A major class of mucosal vaccine adjuvants and modulators includes substances that can activate the innate immune system. Innate immune system activators that exhibit mucosal vaccine adjuvant and modulator activity will be discussed, including proinflammatory cytokines, nanoemulsions, mast cell activators, and toll-like receptor ligands.