Freund's adjuvant is a solution of antigen emulsified in mineral oil and used as an immunopotentiator (booster).
The complete form, Freund's Complete Adjuvant (FCA or CFA) is composed of inactivated and dried mycobacteria (usually M. tuberculosis), whereas the incomplete form (FIA or IFA) lacks the mycobacterial components (hence just the water in oil emulsion).
[6][7] It has also been investigated in an animal model of Parkinson's disease,[8] or as well used in emulsion with Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG), a peptide inducing Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in animal studies for efficacy testing of multiple sclerosis treatments.
[9] FCA is known to stimulate production of tumor necrosis factor, which is thought to kill the T-cells responsible for the autoimmune destruction of the pancreatic beta cells.
Denise Faustman, whose work has been central to developing the protocol, has suggested that both mechanisms may play a role.