Innovative adjuvant strategies for next-generation pertussis vaccines

The acellular pertussis (aP) vaccine has increasingly replaced the whole-cell pertussis (wP) vaccine due to its superior safety profile. However, the aP vaccine is less effective at preventing infection and transmission of Bordetella pertussis, highlighting the need for more effective aP vaccines. Current aP vaccines do not elicit the robust cellular immunity necessary to eliminate intracellular bacteria and do not induce sufficient mucosal immunity to prevent bacterial colonization in the upper respiratory tract. Incorporating novel adjuvants represents a promising avenue for the future development of pertussis vaccines. Nevertheless, there remains a significant gap in understanding the application of novel adjuvants. In this article, we summarize the currently approved pertussis vaccines, focusing on the types of antigens and adjuvants used, and discuss the mechanisms of novel adjuvants. This provides valuable insights into the roles of adjuvants in pertussis vaccines, laying a foundation for designing next-generation pertussis vaccines with improved adjuvant systems.