Adjuvant-carrying synthetic vaccine particles augment the immune response to encapsulated antigen and exhibit strong local immune activation without inducing systemic cytokine release.

Augmentation of immunogenicity can be achieved by particulate delivery of an antigen and by its co-administration with an adjuvant. However, many adjuvants initiate strong systemic inflammatory reactions in vivo, leading to potential adverse events and safety concerns. We have developed a synthetic vaccine particle (SVP) technology that enables co-encapsulation of antigen with potent adjuvants.

Earliest innate immune responses require macrophage RelA during pneumococcal pneumonia.

NF-κB regulates cytokine expression to initiate and control the innate immune response to lung infections. The NF-κB protein RelA is critical for pulmonary host defense during Streptococcus pneumoniae pneumonia, but the cell-specific roles of this transcription factor remain to be determined. We hypothesized that RelA in alveolar macrophages contributes to cytokine expression and host defense during pneumococcal pneumonia.

Influenza virus infection decreases tracheal mucociliary velocity and clearance of Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Influenza virus infections increase susceptibility to secondary bacterial infections, such as pneumococcal pneumonia, resulting in increased morbidity and mortality. Influenza-induced tissue damage is hypothesized to increase susceptibility to Streptococcus pneumoniae infection by increasing adherence to the respiratory epithelium. Using a mouse model of influenza infection followed by S.