Crucial role for the Nalp3 inflammasome in the immunostimulatory properties of aluminium adjuvants

Stephanie C. Eisenbarth, Oscar R. Colegio, William O'Connor, Fayyaz S. Sutterwala, Richard A. Flavell

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1304 Scopus citations

Abstract

Aluminium adjuvants, typically referred to as 'alum', are the most commonly used adjuvants in human and animal vaccines worldwide, yet the mechanism underlying the stimulation of the immune system by alum remains unknown. Toll-like receptors are critical in sensing infections and are therefore common targets of various adjuvants used in immunological studies. Although alum is known to induce the production of proinflammatory cytokines in vitro, it has been repeatedly demonstrated that alum does not require intact Toll-like receptor signalling to activate the immune system. Here we show that aluminium adjuvants activate an intracellular innate immune response system called the Nalp3 (also known as cryopyrin, CIAS1 or NLRP3) inflammasome. Production of the pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1β and interleukin-18 by macrophages in response to alum in vitro required intact inflammasome signalling. Furthermore, in vivo, mice deficient in Nalp3, ASC (apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase recruitment domain) or caspase-1 failed to mount a significant antibody response to an antigen administered with aluminium adjuvants, whereas the response to complete Freund's adjuvant remained intact. We identify the Nalp3 inflammasome as a crucial element in the adjuvant effect of aluminium adjuvants; in addition, we show that the innate inflammasome pathway can direct a humoral adaptive immune response. This is likely to affect how we design effective, but safe, adjuvants in the future.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1122-1126
Number of pages5
JournalNature
Volume453
Issue number7198
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 19 2008
Externally publishedYes

Funding

Acknowledgements We thank L. Zenewicz, Y. Ogura, A. Williams and Y. Wan for discussion and review of this manuscript; A. Coyle, E. Grant and J. Bertin for providing ASC-deficient, Nalp3-deficient and Ipaf-deficient mice; and J. Genzen for providing the P2X7R-deficient mice. This work was supported by the Ellison Foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation through the Grand Challenges in Global Health Initiative, and National Institutes of Health grant K08 (F.S.S.). R.A.F. is an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General

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