New Way to Boost Vaccines, Seeks Patent

University of Rochester scientist believes he has discovered a new approach to boosting the body's response to vaccinations.

Low doses of insulin-sensitizing drugs might be useful as vaccine adjuvants, particularly for people with weakened immune systems who cannot produce a proper antibody response. This would include some infants, the elderly, and patients with chronic health problems that lower immunity.

A closer examination of the role of PPAR gamma in relation to B cell function showed that PPAR levels increase upon B cell activation. Researchers tested both natural and synthetic PPAR gamma ligands and discovered that the synthetic molecules used to create anti-diabetic drugs such as Actos and Avandia stimulated human and mouse B cells to better produce antibodies.

By Leslie Orr

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http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/news/story/index.cfm?id=2942