IMMUNOGENE KOMPLEXE, INSBESONDERE ISCOMS

PCT No. PCT/NL91/00211 Sec. 371 Date Apr. 19, 1993 Sec. 102(e) Date Apr. 19, 1993 PCT Filed Oct. 23, 1991 PCT Pub. No. WO92/06710 PCT Pub. Date Apr. 30, 1992The invention relates to immunogenic complexes such as two-dimensional lamellae having a honeycomb structure and in particular three-dimensional iscoms, which immunogenic complexes are composed of at least one sterol, one saponin and, in the case of iscoms, also a phospholipid and also, optionally, at least one antigen generating an immune reaction. The saponin used is at least one of the fractions which are derived from Quil A by means of hydrophobic interaction chromatography and have the designations QA 1 to QA 23, as is shown in the figure by the numerals 1 to 23. Preferably, the saponin used is one or more of the fractions derived from Quil A having the designations QA 3, QA 17 and QA 23. As well as relating to the immunogenic complex, the invention also relates to the specific method of preparation of the relevant Quil A fractions, to vaccines which contain such immunogenic complexes and to kits which contain, on the one hand, an (empty) immunogenic complex and, on the other hand, one or more antigenic proteins or peptides having a hydrophobic fragment which may or may not have been synthetically introduced.