Nanoporous polyelectrolyte vaccine microcarriers. A formulation platform for enhancing humoral and cellular immune responses.

In this paper we report on the design, characterization and immuno-biological evaluation of nanoporous polyelectrolyte microparticles as vaccine carrier. Relative to soluble antigen, formulation of antigen as a sub-10 μm particle can strongly enhance antigen-specific cellular immune responses. The latter is crucial to confer protective immunity against intracellular pathogens and for anti-cancer vaccines.

Just spray it--LbL assembly enters a new age.

Over the past two decades the Layer-by-Layer (LbL) assembly of multilayer thin films has witnessed an explosive growth. However, this has so far not been translated into numerous industrial applications mainly owing to the time-consuming multistep assembly procedure which was originally based on dipping of a substrate into a solution. More recently the use of spray-based approaches, both for planar films as well as for the construction of polymeric particles, has emerged.

Spray-dried polyelectrolyte microparticles in oral antigen delivery: stability, biocompatibility, and cellular uptake.

During the past decade, extensive research has undeniably improved the formulation and delivery of oral vaccines. Nevertheless, several factors, such as the harsh gastrointestinal environment together with tolerance induction to exogenous antigens, have thus far impeded the optimal effectiveness and clinical application of oral delivery systems. The current study encompasses an initial evaluation of the stability, biocompatibility, and cellular uptake of two promising candidate systems for oral antigen delivery, that is, calcium carbonate- (CP) and mannitol-templated (MP) porous microspheres.

β-Glucan microparticles are good candidates for mucosal antigen delivery in oral vaccination.

Continuously improving the developmental process and the efficacy of oral vaccines is essential in the fight against intestinal pathogens. A promising strategy for vaccination applying safe, biodegradable and non-replicating antigen delivery systems has gained increased interest for eliciting cellular and humoral immune responses. The current study evaluates the potential of β-glucan particles (GP) as an oral antigen delivery system and their adjuvant characteristics.

Hydrogen bonded polymeric multilayer films assembled below and above the cloud point temperature.

Polymeric multilayer films assembled via hydrogen-bonding are witnessing increased interest from the scientific community. Here we report on hydrogen bonded multilayers of tannic acid and neutral poly(2-oxazoline)s. Importantly we demonstrate, to the best of our knowledge, for the first time that a temperature responsive polymer, in this case poly(2-(n-propyl)-2-oxazline), can be assembled below and above its TCP with distinctly different growth mechanisms.

One-step spray-dried polyelectrolyte microparticles enhance the antigen cross-presentation capacity of porcine dendritic cells.

Vaccination is regarded as the most efficient and cost-effective way to prevent infectious diseases. Vaccine design nowadays focuses on the implementation of safer recombinant subunit vaccines. However, these recombinant subunit antigens are often poor immunogens and several strategies are currently under investigation to enhance their immunogenicity.

Interaction between polymeric multilayer capsules and immune cells.

Polymeric multilayer capsules are emerging carrier systems in the field of drug delivery. These materials are fabricated by set-wise assembly of interaction species onto a sacrificial template followed by the decomposition of this template, yielding hollow capsules. Using bio-responsive polymers that can be triggered by pH, enzymes or reduction, several groups are exploring these systems for intracellular drug delivery.

Single-step formation of degradable intracellular biomolecule microreactors.

Here we present a single-step all-aqueous approach to encapsulate biomolecules such as enzymes and proteins into stable microreactors. Key in this method is the use of spray-drying of the biomolecules of interest in combination with oppositely charged polyelectrolytes and mannitol as the sacrificial template. Remarkably, upon spray-drying in the presence of polyelectrolyte, mannitol crystallization is suppressed and the obtained amorphous mannitol offers enhanced preservation of the biomolecules' activity.