Abstract
ANTIGENS in emulsions of water-in-oil are known to enhance antibody response more effectively than when dissolved or suspended in saline1, but the mechanism of action of the adjuvant remains unsettled. Freund2 postulated that absorption, destruction and elimination of antigen are retarded by emulsions of water-in-oil with or without the presence of mycobacteria. Recently, however, Dresser3,4 found that subcutaneous injection of Freund's adjuvant without antigen enhanced the antibody response against bovine γ-globulin given to mice intravenously: this suggests that the adjuvant exerts a nonspecific influence on the immune mechanism. Further, it has been demonstrated that Freund's adjuvant activates the immune machinery in the early phase of the primary immune response preceding the specific response against an antigen5. It has also been shown that phagocytosis of the antigen is a crucial step in the induction of the primary immune response6,7.
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NICOL, T., QUANTOCK, D. & VERNON-ROBERTS, B. Stimulation of Phagocytosis in Relation to the Mechanism of Action of Adjuvants. Nature 209, 1142–1143 (1966). https://doi.org/10.1038/2091142b0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/2091142b0
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