The Effect of Alendronate on the Immune Response to Hepatitis B Vaccine in Healthy Adults
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2016-02-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Vaccines are one of our most effective public health tools but many who need them don't
respond well and are not protected. Adjuvants boost immune responses and are commonly
included in vaccine preparations. Bisphosphonates are the most commonly prescribed treatment
for osteoporosis and may represent a new class of adjuvant. Bisphosphonates are well
tolerated with chronic administration and have very few adverse effects. Research suggests
that these medications can stimulate the immune system.
Bisphosphonates are of special interest in populations with impaired immunity and an
inability to amount protective antibody responses following immunizations. We propose a pilot
study to evaluate the clinical relevance of this finding in humans. We will study the effect
of bisphosphonates on quantitative humoral immune response to hepatitis B vaccine in healthy
older volunteers who have not previously received this vaccine.