Preliminary studies on the development of IgA-loaded chitosan-dextran sulphate nanoparticles as a potential nasal delivery system for protein antigens.

This study describes the development of a biodegradable nanoparticulate system for the intranasal delivery of multiple proteins. Chitosan (CS)-dextran sulphate (DS) nanoparticles were developed and optimised for the incorporation of pertussis toxin (PTX) and a potential targeting ligand (immunoglobulin-A, IgA). In vitro characterization and in vivo uptake studies were performed for the evaluation of developed nanoparticles.

Evaluation of immune response to recombinant potential protective antigens of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae delivered as cocktail DNA and/or recombinant protein vaccines in mice.

Intramuscular immunization of mice with DNA cocktail vaccines, comprising potential protective antigens P36, P46, NrdF, and P97or P97R1 of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, induced strong Th1-polarized immune responses against each antigen, with only P46 eliciting a serum IgG response. Subcutaneous immunization with protein cocktail vaccines, surprisingly, induced both Th1-polarized immune response as well as antibody response whereas mice immunized with DNA cocktail vaccines followed by boosting with protein cocktail vaccines generated strong Th1-polarized and humoral immune responses. P97 was not recognized by serum antibodies from commercial bacterin-immunized mice indicating potential lack of expression of this important antigen in inactivated whole-cell vaccines.

Parenteral immunization of mice with a genetically inactivated pertussis toxin DNA vaccine induces cell-mediated immunity and protection.

The immunogenicity and protective efficacy of a DNA vaccine encoding a genetically inactivated S1 domain of pertussis toxin was evaluated using a murine respiratory challenge model of Bordetella pertussis infection. It was found that mice immunized via the intramuscular route elicited a purely cell-mediated immune response to the DNA vaccine, with high levels of gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) and interleukin (IL)-2 detected in the S1-stimulated splenocyte supernatants and no serum IgG. Despite the lack of an antibody response, the lungs of DNA-immunized mice were cleared of B.