寄生・共生菌リピドAの化学合成とワクチンアジュバント開発への展開

抄録

Lipopolysaccharide （LPS）, a Gram-negative bacterial outer membrane component, is a representative immunostimulant, with terminal glycolipid lipid A as its active principle. Immunostimulant LPS is a potential candidate for adjuvants: immunomodulators that optimize vaccine efficacy. However, LPS is an endotoxin causing lethal sepsis. Thus, we need to minimize its toxicity before using it in vaccines. Focusing on parasitic and symbiotic bacterial LPS and lipid A, which are predicted to have low-toxicity immunomodulators as they have different LPS chemical structures due to co-evolution with the host, elucidation of the molecular basis of the parasitic and symbiotic phenomena has been progressed as well as the development of low-toxicity adjuvant has been conducted, based on the concept that there is a lipid A-mediated bacterial-host chemical ecology. In this review, recent developments in related research are presented.