Adjuvant activity of Mycobacteria-derived mycolic acids

, has adjuvant activity. MA plus model antigen-immunization induced sufficient humoral response, which was largely comparable to conventional CFA plus antigen-immunization. Importantly, while CFA plus antigen-immunization induced Th17-biased severe and destructive inflammatory responses at the injected site, MA plus antigen-immunization induced Th1-biased mild inflammation at the site. MA induced dendritic cell activation by co-stimulatory molecule induction as well as inflammatory cytokine/chemokine induction. MA plus antigen-immunization successfully protected mice from tumor progression both in prevention and in therapy models. We thus submit that MA is a promising adjuvant candidate material for clinical purposes and for experimental purposes from a perspective of animal welfare.