| abstract |
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide saponin which is a triterpene, a method for synthesizing it, and its use. The present invention relates to adjuvants derived from triterpene glycoside saponins, their synthesis, intermediates thereof, and their use. QS-7 is a potent immunoadjuvant that is significantly less virulent than QS-21, i.e., the associated saponin, which is currently the preferred adjuvant in anticancer and antiviral vaccines. Prolonged isolation and purification protocols have hampered the clinical development of QS-7. Provided are novel semi-synthetic methods that greatly facilitate the availability of QS-7 and QS-21 analogs for preclinical and clinical evaluation. In this method, a hydrolyzed prosapogenin mixture is used to synthesize QS-7, QS-21, and related analogs. [Selection diagram] None |