Research in Vaccine Adjuvants: Innovations and Challenges

A special issue of Vaccines (ISSN 2076-393X). This special issue belongs to the section "Vaccine Adjuvants".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2025 | Viewed by 772

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
National Engineering Research Center of Immunological Products, Department of Microbiology and Biochemical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
Interests: vaccine development; adjuvants; bacteriology

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
National Engineering Research Center of Immunological Products, Department of Microbiology and Biochemical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy and Laboratory Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
Interests: vaccine development; adjuvants; bacteriology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Vaccine adjuvants are critical components in vaccine research and play a key role in improving the immunogenicity and efficacy of vaccines. They work by stimulating the immune system to produce stronger and more durable responses against target pathogens. Despite significant progress in adjuvant research, there are still several hurdles to overcome. These include understanding the mechanisms of adjuvant action, optimizing adjuvant formulations for different vaccine platforms, and addressing potential safety concerns. In addition, the discovery of new adjuvant materials and systems remains a critical area of research to improve vaccine performance.

This Special Issue, "Research in Vaccine Adjuvants: Innovations and Challenges", aims to address these challenges and highlight the latest innovations in adjuvant research. We invite submissions on a variety of topics, including the following:

  • New adjuvant materials and systems: exploring novel adjuvants derived from natural sources, synthetic polymers, or biotechnological approaches.
  • Mucosal vaccine adjuvants: investigation of adjuvants that enhance the immunogenicity of mucosal vaccines, which are essential for the prevention of infection at mucosal surfaces.
  • Mechanisms of adjuvant action: the study of the underlying mechanisms by which adjuvants interact with the immune system to enhance vaccine responses.
  • Adjuvant safety and tolerability: evaluating the safety and tolerability of new adjuvants in preclinical and clinical studies.

We welcome original research articles, reviews, and perspectives that contribute to advancing our understanding of vaccine adjuvants. By addressing these topics, we aim to foster new insights and drive innovations in vaccine adjuvant research.

Prof. Dr. Haibo Li
Prof. Dr. Hongwu Sun
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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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

  • vaccine adjuvants
  • immune response enhancement
  • mucosal vaccine adjuvants
  • adjuvant safety and efficacy
  • new adjuvant materials
  • adjuvant mechanisms of action
  • adjuvant development challenges

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

21 pages, 6320 KiB  
Review
Plant-Derived Immunomodulatory Nanoadjuvants for Cancer Vaccines: Current Status and Future Opportunities
by Yimin Jia, Hui Zhu, Xinyu Cai, Cun Sun, Yan Ye, Dingyi Cai, Shuaifei Yang, Jingjing Cheng, Jining Gao, Yun Yang, Hao Zeng, Quanming Zou, Jieping Li, Hongwu Sun and Wenxiu Wang
Vaccines 2025, 13(4), 378; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines13040378 - 31 Mar 2025
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Abstract
Cancer is a major cause of death worldwide, and vaccine administration is an effective way to stimulate immune responses in patients and to achieve preventive and therapeutic effects. Few vaccines have been used in clinical settings because they have poor immunogenicity, and it [...] Read more.
Cancer is a major cause of death worldwide, and vaccine administration is an effective way to stimulate immune responses in patients and to achieve preventive and therapeutic effects. Few vaccines have been used in clinical settings because they have poor immunogenicity, and it is difficult to induce a robust immune response in patients. An adjuvant is an important component of a vaccine that can enhance the intensity, speed, and duration of immune responses. The achievements of adjuvants in the production of stable, safe, and immunogenic tumor vaccines have aroused the enthusiasm of researchers. Recent results have suggested that plant-derived adjuvants have unique advantages, such as greatly improving immune responses to cancer vaccines and promoting humoral and cellular immunity with good biocompatibility and biodegradability. When these adjuvants are used in combination with vaccines, they can not only activate the immune response in vivo but can also promote cytokine secretion and accelerate dendritic cell maturation. This review focused on the application progress of plant adjuvants, including saponins, polysaccharides, flavonoids, and plant virus-like particles, and their combination with nano-delivery systems in cancer vaccines. At the same time, we have also discussed the immunomodulatory mechanisms of these adjuvants and their prospects for improving vaccine efficacy in the treatment of cancer in the future. These promising plant adjuvants may provide prospects and a research basis for the development of tumor vaccines. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research in Vaccine Adjuvants: Innovations and Challenges)
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