Particulate adjuvants can induce macrophage survival, DNA synthesis, and a synergistic proliferative response to GM-CSF and CSF-1

Abstract

The mode of action of immunological adjuvants is not yet completely understood. Many are particulate. Certain antigen-presenting (dendritic) cell populations belong to the monocyte/macrophage lineage and, like other members of the lineage, in some tissues appear to be short-lived. We report that many poorly degradable, particulate adjuvants, for example, aluminum hydroxide, oil-in-water emulsions, calcium phosphate, and silica, enhance marine bone marrow-derived macrophage survival; induction of DNA synthesis was even observed. No evidence could be found for a requirement for endogenous granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) or macrophage-CSF (M-CSF or CSF-1). Synergy for ..