An adjuvant database for preclinical evaluation of vaccines and immunotherapeutics

Cell Chem Biol. 2025 Aug 7:S2451-9456(25)00228-4. doi: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2025.07.005. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Adjuvants are immunostimulators used to enhance vaccine efficacy against infectious diseases. However, current methods for evaluating their efficacy and safety are limited, hindering large-scale screening. To address this, we developed a prototype Adjuvant Database (ADB) containing transcriptome data, generated using the same protocols as the widely used Open TG-GATEs (OTG) toxicogenomics database, covering 25 adjuvants across multiple species, organs, time points, and doses. This enabled cross-database integration of ADB and OTG. Transcriptomic patterns successfully distinguished each adjuvant regardless of organs or species. Using both databases, we built machine learning models to predict adjuvanticity and hepatotoxicity. Notably, we identified colchicine's adjuvant activity and FK565's liver toxicity through data-driven analysis. Overall, ADB combined with OTG offers a framework for transcriptomics-based, data-driven screening of adjuvant candidates.

PMID:40795871 | DOI:10.1016/j.chembiol.2025.07.005