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Vaccines
Special Issues
Protective Immunity and Adjuvant Vaccines
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Protective Immunity and Adjuvant Vaccines

A special issue of Vaccines (ISSN 2076-393X). This special issue belongs to the section "Vaccines against Tropical and other Infectious Diseases".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 643

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Chengli Zong

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou, China
Interests: polysaccharide vaccine; novel conjugation chemistry; drug conjugates; carbohydrate biochemistry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The use of adjuvants in vaccines can boost immune responses, widen protection against different strains of pathogens, reduce the amount of antigen needed, and improve effectiveness in immunocompromised individuals. However, the interaction between the antigen and adjuvant is often not thoroughly understood. This Special Issue focuses on the significance of investigating antigen–adjuvant interactions, summarizing research on commonly used adjuvant formulations such as aluminum salts, emulsions, lipid vesicles, and polymer-based particles. The Special Issue emphasizes the importance of understanding the physical and chemical basis of antigen–adjuvant associations, utilizing appropriate analytical tools for their characterization, and discussing how these interactions impact vaccine effectiveness. We invite comprehensive research and reviews that explore the following topics:

  • Mechanisms of protective immunity: understanding innate and adaptive responses, memory B and T cells, and cross-protective immunity.
  • Adjuvant vaccine development: innovations in adjuvant design, formulations, and comparative efficacy studies.
  • Clinical and preclinical studies: evaluations in clinical trials and preclinical models, showcasing successful case studies.
  • Molecular and cellular insights: pathways that are activated by adjuvants, cellular interactions, and signaling cascades.
  • Public health perspectives: the impact on viral outbreaks, strategies for mass immunization, and cost-effectiveness.
  • Innovative approaches: emerging technologies in adjuvant design, bioinformatics, and personalized vaccines.

Prof. Dr. Chengli Zong
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Vaccines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • protective immunity
  • adjuvant vaccines
  • viral diseases
  • innate immune response
  • adaptive immune response
  • vaccine efficacy

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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21 pages, 1578 KiB  
Article
ISG15 as a Potent Immune Adjuvant in MVA-Based Vaccines Against Zika Virus and SARS-CoV-2
by Juan García-Arriaza, Michela Falqui, Patricia Pérez, Rocío Coloma, Beatriz Perdiguero, Enrique Álvarez, Laura Marcos-Villar, David Astorgano, Irene Campaña-Gómez, Carlos Óscar S. Sorzano, Mariano Esteban, Carmen Elena Gómez and Susana Guerra
Vaccines 2025, 13(7), 696; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines13070696 (registering DOI) - 27 Jun 2025
Viewed by 384
Abstract
Background: Vaccines represent one of the most affordable and efficient tools for controlling infectious diseases; however, the development of efficacious vaccines against complex pathogens remains a major challenge. Adjuvants play a relevant role in enhancing vaccine-induced immune responses. One such molecule is interferon-stimulated [...] Read more.
Background: Vaccines represent one of the most affordable and efficient tools for controlling infectious diseases; however, the development of efficacious vaccines against complex pathogens remains a major challenge. Adjuvants play a relevant role in enhancing vaccine-induced immune responses. One such molecule is interferon-stimulated gene 15 (ISG15), a key modulator of antiviral immunity that acts both through ISGylation-dependent mechanisms and as a cytokine-like molecule. Methods: In this study, we assessed the immunostimulatory potential of ISG15 as an adjuvant in Modified Vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA)-based vaccine candidates targeting Zika virus (ZIKV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Early innate responses and immune cell infiltration were analyzed in immunized mice by flow cytometry and cytokine profiling. To elucidate the underlying mechanism of action of ISG15, in vitro co-infection studies were performed in macrophages. Finally, we evaluated the magnitude and functional quality of the elicited antigen-specific cellular immune responses in vivo. Results: Analysis of early innate responses revealed both platform- and variant-specific effects. ISG15AA preferentially promoted natural killer (NK) cell recruitment at the injection site, whereas ISG15GG enhanced myeloid cell infiltration in draining lymph nodes (DLNs), particularly when delivered via MVA. Moreover, in vitro co-infection of macrophages with MVA-based vaccine vectors and the ISG15AA mutant led to a marked increase in proinflammatory cytokine production, highlighting a dominant role for the extracellular, ISGylation-independent functions of ISG15 in shaping vaccine-induced immunity. Notably, co-infection of ISG15 with MVA-ZIKV and MVA-SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidates enhanced the magnitude of antigen-specific immune responses in both vaccine models. Conclusions: ISG15, particularly in its ISGylation-deficient form, acts as a promising immunomodulatory adjuvant for viral vaccines, enhancing both innate and adaptive immune responses. Consistent with previous findings in the context of Human Immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) vaccines, this study further supports the potential of ISG15 as an effective adjuvant for vaccines targeting viral infections such as ZIKV and SARS-CoV-2. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Protective Immunity and Adjuvant Vaccines)
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