Immunization with hsps from pathogens protects animals from disease. Heat shock proteins are being used as vaccine vehicles. Hsp fusion protein vaccines do not require adjuvants. Physical linkage of p24 and hsp70 was required for increased immunity. Importantly, hsp70 fusion proteins induced these immune responses without adjuvants.
Most vaccines require adjuvants to provoke effective and protective immune responses.
There is currently a great deal of interest in developing vaccines, like hsp70 fusion proteins, that generate powerful immune responses without the use of adjuvants. Hsp fusion proteins elicit CTL responses in the absence of adjuvant. Mice were immunized twice with 120 pmoles of OVA.TBhsp70 fusion protein in saline. This was unexpected as immunization with soluble proteins, especially in the absence of adjuvant, rarely elicit CTL responses. Physical linkage of hsp70 and antigen was, again, required for induction of antigen specific CTL responses.