ISCOMATRIX

ISCOMATRIX is a composite acronym of "ISCOM = immunostimulatory complexes and matrix". ISCOMATRIX is an adjuvant that has essentially the same structure as ISCOM (Sanders MT et al. 2005), but without the incorporated antigen. Studies demonstrate that the ISCOMATRIX adjuvant rapidly transports an antigen into the cytosol of dendritic cell subsets. Furthermore, the adjuvant induces a number of cytokines and chemokines (Baz Morelli A et al. 2012).

A number of studies have shown that the adjuvant ISCOMATRIX is safe and induces both humoral and cellular immune responses. The responses are broad and include a number of subclasses of antibodies as well as CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. The ability of the ISCOMATRIX adjuvant to induce these broad immune responses is due to the combination of antigen presentation by MHC class I and II pathways, as well as the potent immunomodulatory ability of integrated of the adjuvant. The immunostimulatory complexes contain phospolipid and cholesterol as well as purified extracts of quillaja saponins derived from the bark of the soap bark tree.

Furthermore, the ISCOMATRIX adjuvant is easy to prepare. It can be combined with a variety of antigens, making it suitable for the development of ISCOMATRIX vaccines (ISCOMATRIX adjuvant in combination with antigen) (Pearse MJ et al.2005).

The data known to date underscore the clinical utility of the ISCOMATRIX adjuvant in the development of prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines against infectious diseases.

1. Baz Morelli A et al. (2012) ISCOMATRIX: a novel adjuvant for use in prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines against infectious diseases. J Med Microbiol 61:935-943.
2. Pearse MJ et al.(2005) ISCOMATRIX adjuvant for antigen delivery. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 57:465-474.
3. Sanders MT et al (2005) ISCOM-based vaccines: the second decade. Immunol Cell Biol 83:119-128.
4. Sun HX et al (2009) ISCOMs and ISCOMATRIX. Vaccine 27:4388-4401.