Adjuvant effect of Cliptox™ on the protective immune response induced by an inactivated vaccine against foot and mouth disease virus in mice

Abstract Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) is an acute disease caused by Foot and Mouth Disease Virus (FMDV) which causes important economy losses, this is why it is necessary to obtain a vaccine that stimulates a rapid and long-lasting protective immune response. Cliptox™ is a mineral microparticle that in earlier studies has shown adjuvant activity against different antigens. In this study we have examined the effects of Cliptox™ on the magnitude and type of immunity elicited in response to inactivated FMDV (iFMDV) vaccine. It was demonstrated that iFMDV-Cliptox ™ stimulates a specific antibody response detected in mucosal and in sera. The different isotype profiles elicited by inoculation with this vaccine indicate a Th1/Th2 response. Also, an increase in dendritic cells and macrophages in the spleen in comparison with the iFMDV vaccine iFMDV-Cliptox™ was detected. The Cliptox-iFMDV formulation was non toxic by using egg embryos and yielded increased protection against challenge with FMDV in the murine model. Our results show that the incorporation of Cliptox™ into FMDVi vaccine induces an increase of the specific protective immune response in mice and clearly indicate that Cliptox TM exert an (important) up-regulation on DC and MΦ. Additionally, Cliptox TM adjuvant can be used in vaccines for induction of mucosal immune response.