Lee, Yu-Sun Bang, Yoo-Jin Yoo, Soyeon Park, Sang-In Park, Hyo-Jung Kwak, Hye Won Bae, Seo-Hyeon Park, Hyeong-Jun Kim, Jae-Yong Youn, Sue-Bean Roh, Gahyun Lee, Seonghyun Kwon, Sung Pil Bang, Eun-Kyoung Keum, Gyochang Nam, Jae-Hwan Hong, So-Hee 2024-01-19T08:33:46Z 2024-01-19T08:33:46Z 2023-10-14 2024-05 0022-1899 https://pubs.kist.re.kr/handle/201004/113292 Developing new adjuvants that can effectively induce humoral and cellular immune responses while broadening the immune response is of great value. In this study, we aimed to develop single-stranded RNA adjuvants expressing (1) granulocyte monocyte colony-stimulating factor or (2) interleukin 18 based on the encephalomyocarditis virus internal ribosome entry site; we also tested their efficacy in combination with ovalbumin or inactivated influenza vaccines. Notably, cytokine-expressing RNA adjuvants increased the expression of antigen-presenting cell activation markers in mice. Specifically, when combined with ovalbumin, RNA adjuvants expressing granulocyte monocyte colony-stimulating factor increased CD4+ T-cell responses, while those expressing interleukin 18 increased CD8+ T-cell responses. Cytokine-expressing RNA adjuvants further increased the frequency of polyclonal T cells with the influenza vaccine and reduced the clinical illness scores and weight loss of mice after viral challenge. Collectively, our results suggest that cytokine-expressing RNA adjuvants can be applied to protein-based or inactivated vaccines to increase their efficacy. Cytokine-expressing RNA-based adjuvants activated antigen-presenting cells and increased the proportion of polyclonal T cells when used in conjunction with an influenza vaccine while minimizing critical illness scores and weight loss in immunized mice. English University of Chicago Press Analysis of the Immunostimulatory Effects of Cytokine-Expressing Internal Ribosome Entry Site-Based RNA Adjuvants and Their Applications Article 10.1093/infdis/jiad392 1 The Journal of Infectious Diseases, v.229, no.5, pp.1408 - 1418 The Journal of Infectious Diseases 229 5 1408 1418 N scie scopus 001075134400001 Immunology Infectious Diseases Microbiology Immunology Infectious Diseases Microbiology Article GM-CSF VACCINE RESPONSES VIRUS cytokine EMCV-IRES single-strand RNA adjuvant vaccine