Co-loaded simvastatin-ginsenoside Rh2 liposomes enhance cellular immune responses as vaccine adjuvants

• Published in: Biochemistry and Biophysics Reports
• Main Authors: Yinxiu Huang, Qingqing Nie, Zhijie Chen, Wang Gong, Wenqiang Cao, Xue Wang, Yanna Liu, Ziyan Meng
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2025-09-01
• Subjects: Adjuvant; Vaccine; Liposome; Simvastatin; Ginsenoside Rh2; Cellular immunities
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405580825002468
• ISSN: 2405-5808

Vaccine adjuvants are pivotal in novel vaccine development, enhancing immunization and modulating immune responses. This study prepared liposomes loaded with simvastatin and ginsenoside Rh2 (LIPO-SIM-Rh2) via high-speed shearing, rotary evaporation, and high-pressure homogenization. Using C57BL/6J mice, six groups were established to explore its immune-enhancing effects and mechanisms. Following two-dose immunization at 0 and 21 days, IgG antibody titers (ELISA), immune cell responses (flow cytometry), and safety/function of antigen-presenting cells (pathological sections, immunofluorescence staining) were detected. Results showed LIPO-SIM-Rh2 had a stable dispersion and a near-100 % encapsulation efficiency. Compared with other groups, it significantly increased anti-OVA specific IgG titer, promoted cellular immune response, up-regulated MHC-I molecule antigen presentation pathway, activated macrophages, promoted dendritic cell homing, and caused no obvious damage or inflammation to major organs. In conclusion, LIPO-SIM-Rh2 adjuvant has a feasible preparation method and strong immune-enhancing potential for vaccines.