James Reed

Jan 25, 2024 | nature.com | Shingo Kikuchi |Martin Rejzek |Charlotte Owen |James Reed |Rajesh Misra |Amr El-Demerdash | +3 more

AbstractQS-21 is a potent vaccine adjuvant currently sourced by extraction from the Chilean soapbark tree. It is a key component of human vaccines for shingles, malaria, coronavirus disease 2019 and others under development. The structure of QS-21 consists of a glycosylated triterpene scaffold coupled to a complex glycosylated 18-carbon acyl chain that is critical for immunostimulant activity.

Mar 23, 2023 | science.org | Trevor M. Nolan |Moiré photonics |Luojun Du |James Reed

Adjuvants derived from the soapbark treeSaponins, a type of plant-derived glycoside, are useful in formulations including soaps, medicines, and root beer foam. Reed et al. studied how the Chilean soapbark tree (Quillaja saponaria) makes its saponins, which lend immunostimulatory activity to vaccines against shingles, malaria, and COVID-19 (see the Perspective by Chubatsu Nunes and Dang). The saponins are currently extracted from the tree’s bark.