Algal Glucan |
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Vaxjo ID |
40 |
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Vaccine Adjuvant Name |
Algal Glucan |
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Alternative Names |
β-glucan; glucan |
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Adjuvant VO ID |
VO_0001285
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Description |
Algal Glucan, a nonantigenic carbohydrate adjuvant, enhances both humoral and cell-mediated immunity to oligopeptides in experimental animal models (Vogel and Powell, 1995). |
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Stage of Development |
Research |
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Components |
b-glucan; glucan; A linear b-D(1,3)-linked glucopyranose, polymer having a triple-helical conformation (Vogel and Powell, 1995). |
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Structure |
A linear β-D( 1,3)-linked glucopyranose, polymer having a triple-helical conformation. |
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Molecular Weight |
Highest measured |
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Appearance |
White, odorless crystalline material. Forms a suspension in aqueous solutions (Vogel and Powell, 1995). |
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Storage |
Stable to light. Store solid Algal Glucan at room temperature and aqueous suspensions at 4°C. No apparent degradation after storage of aqueous suspension for 24 months at 4°C. Optimal storage conditions are to be determined (Vogel and Powell, 1995). |
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Preparation |
Produced by an adapted strain of Euglena gracilis (SRI strain D86-G) grown heterotrophically in the dark. Obtained from the cytoplasm of the organism by methanol and chloroform extraction. Depyrogenized in hot I N HCI and washed sequentially in pyrogen-free water and pyrogen-free saline (Vogel and Powell, 1995). |
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Dosage |
In a study, mice were immunized by coadministration of herpes virus glycoprotein D (gD2) and 100 µg Algal Glucan, which produced anti-gD2 antibodies that were significantly higher in titer and persisted longer (p<0.01) than those in animals injected with gD2 alone (Vogel and Powell, 1995). |
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Function |
Administered with antigen for enhancement of both humoral and cell-mediated immunity. b-Glucans exert their immunostimulatory activities by binding to specific b-glucan receptors on macrophages. This ligand-receptor interaction results in macrophage activation and, in certain formulations, promotes antigen targeting (Vogel and Powell, 1995). |
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Safety |
In preclinical studies, Algal Glucan has been intravenously administered at doses up to 25 mg/kg body weight and was well tolerated. Human clinical trials of b-glucans isolated from either plants or microorganisms indicate the feasibility of administering these compounds to humans without toxicity. Glucan particles bioerode over time in a physiological environment (Vogel and Powell, 1995). |
| References |
Vogel and Powell, 1995: Vogel FR, Powell MF. A compendium of vaccine adjuvants and excipients. Pharmaceutical biotechnology. 1995; 6; 141-228. [PubMed: 7551218].
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