Exploring local immune responses to vaccines using efferent lymphatic cannulation

Abstract

The early stages of the induction of a primary immune response to a vaccine can shape the overall quality of the immune memory generated and hence affect the success of the vaccine. This early interaction between a vaccine and the immune system occurs first at the site of vaccination and can be explored using afferent cannulation. Subsequently, the vaccine and adjuvant activates the local draining lymph node. These interactions can be studied in real time in vivo using efferent lymphatic duct cannulation in large animal models and are the subject of this review. Depending on how the vaccine is delivered, the draining lymph nodes of different organs can be accessed, facilitating the testing of tissue-specific vaccinations. The efferent lymphatic cannulation model provides an avenue to study the effect of both adjuvants and antigen on the local immune system, and hence opens a pathway toward developing more effective ways of inducing immunity.

Keywords:

• anamnestic response
• cannulation
• efferent lymph
• local immune response
• recruitment
• vaccination

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The authors were financially supported by the Australian Research Council. TAN Mahakapuge is the recipient of a PhD scholarship from The University of Melbourne. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Key issues

• Locally induced immune responses at the site of vaccine delivery play an important role in inducing systemic immune responses.

• Cannulating efferent lymphatic ducts of symmetrically located lymph nodes enable comparison of immune responses in the same genetic background in an outbred population.

• The lymph derived from different organs differs in composition and immune responses upon antigen challenge.

• Antigens and adjuvants determine the local immune responses induced.

• Novel vaccine and adjuvant trials have benefited by efferent lymphatic duct cannulation models, which enhance our understanding of individual vaccine or adjuvant-induced immunological processes.

Notes