ISCOMS (IMMUNOSTIMULATING COMPLEXES) - THE FIRST DECADE

A little over a decade ago, novel immunostimulating complexes (ISCOMs) were described. This review examines the position and progress that I SCOM technology has achieved in the fields of vaccine research and med icine over this period. Much of the work on ISCOMs has remained in the area of vaccine research where there is still an urgent need for impr oved adjuvants to help combat important diseases such as AIDS, malaria and influenza. Currently the only widely licensed adjuvants for human use are the aluminium salts, but with the trend towards highly purifi ed subunit vaccines, which are inherently less immunogenic than some o f the older vaccines, potent adjuvants capable of promoting specific i mmune responses are required. ISCOMs are one such technology that offe rs many of these requirements and as their use in vaccines enters its second decade clinical trials are commencing that will establish wheth er these submicron, non-living particles composed of saponin, choleste rol, phospholipid and in many cases protein, are useful components for a range of human vaccines.