Intranasal administration of a synthetic lipopeptide without adjuvant induces systemic immune responses

Summary Parenteral injection of a lipopeptide containing a human leucocyte antigen (HLA)‐A*0201‐restricted cytotoxic T‐lymphocyte (CTL) epitope from the human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) immunodominant matrix protein pp65 efficiently induces systemic CTL responses in HLA‐A*0201 transgenic mice. In this study, we demonstrate that intranasal (i.n.) administration of this lipopeptide, covalently linked to a universal T helper (Th) epitope (PADRE), also induces potent systemic CTL responses. Immune responses were substantially reduced when the unlipidated peptide analogue was used (P