Abstract: Phytosphingosine derivatives suitable as adjuvants in immune stimulation, pharmaceutical compositions comprising such compounds and the medical use of the compounds and/or compositions in therapeutic or prophylactic methods of immune stimulation in a subject, and for use in the treatment of a disease, for which stimulation of an immune response in a subject produces a therapeutic benefit. The phytosphingosine derivative may also be used as adjuvants in vaccinating a subject. The phytosphingosine derivative may also be used in stimulating antibody production, stimulating an immune response against infection, stimulating an immune response against a cancer, or preventing and/or treating septic shock. Methods for the manufacture of the derivatives comprising an Ugi-4-component reaction (Ugi-4CR) is also disclosed.

Abstract: In a first aspect, the present invention relates to a method for determining the responsiveness of an individual to vaccination, like viral vaccination or for the determination of viral vaccine efficacy in an individual as well as a method for the stratification of the vaccination regimen, e.g. viral vaccination, in an individual based on determining the level or the amount of at least one of IL-8 or IL-18 in a sample; said sample is obtained from an individual at least once before or at least once after vaccination. The method allows to determine the vaccination regimen with the vaccine, in particular, a virus vaccine, like an influenza virus vaccine whereby when a low level of at least one of IL-8 and/or IL-18 is determined, said low level is indicative for a personalized vaccine strategy. In a further aspect, the use of at least one of IL-8 or IL-18 as a predictive marker for vaccine efficacy or immune protection by vaccination is provided.