QS-21, a saponin extracted from the tree Quillaja saponaria Molina, is a vaccine adjuvant which has been shown to elicit robust antibody and cell-mediated immune responses in a variety of preclinical and clinical studies [1]. Its purification from the natural source is a lengthy and difficult process. The commercially available saponin mixture Quil-A ® is a fraction of the bark extract containing a variety of saponins, including QS-21. In order to facilitate access to QS-21 at laboratory-scale amounts, we propose here a method of purification of QS-21 starting from Quil-A ®. In addition, we describe a protocol to appropriately formulate QS-21 into cholesterol-containing, neutral liposomes which are known to decrease QS-21‘s hemolytic activity while retaining the adjuvant effect. Methods for the physicochemical characterization of purified QS-21 and of the QS-21/liposome formulations are also described.
CITATION STYLE
Brunner, L., Barnier-Quer, C., & Collin, N. (2017). QS-21 adjuvant: Laboratory-scale purification method and formulation into liposomes. In Methods in Molecular Biology (Vol. 1494, pp. 73–86). Humana Press Inc. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-6445-1_5
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