The Integrated Consideration of Vaccine Platforms, Adjuvants, and Delivery Routes for Successful Vaccine Development

Vaccines (Basel). 2023 Mar 17;11(3):695. doi: 10.3390/vaccines11030695.

Abstract

Vaccines have proven to be the most cost-efficient and reasonable way to fight and exterminate virulent pathogens. Vaccines can be designed using a variety of platforms including inactivated/attenuated pathogen or subunits of it. The most recent COVID mRNA vaccines have employed nucleic acid sequences for the antigen of interest to combat the pandemic. Different vaccine platforms have been chosen for different licensed vaccines which all have shown their ability to induce durable immune responses and protection. In addition to platforms, different adjuvants have been used to strengthen the immunogenicity of vaccines. Among the delivery routes, intramuscular injection has been the most common for vaccination. In this review, we present a historical overview of the integrated consideration of vaccine platforms, adjuvants, and delivery routes in the success of vaccine development. We also discuss the advantages and limitations of each choice in the efficacy of vaccine development.

Keywords: adaptive immunity; adjuvant; delivery; immune responses; innate immunity; vaccination; vaccine.

Publication types

  • Review

Grants and funding

This work was supported by research initiation grants in the Department of Pathology and laboratory medicine, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, and the Jake Gittlen Memorial Golf Tournament.