Antigen-loaded nanocarriers enhance the migration of stimulated Langerhans cells to draining lymph nodes and induce effective transcutaneous immunization

作者:Li, Ni; Peng, Li-Hua*; Chen, Xi; Zhang, Tian-Yuan; Shao, Guo-Feng; Liang, Wen-Quan; Gao, Jian-Qing
来源:Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology and Medicine , 2014, 10(1): 215-223.
DOI:10.1016/j.nano.2013.06.007

摘要

This study aims to investigate the efficacy of chitosan nanoparticles (CS-NPs) as a vehicle for transcutaneous antigen delivery in antitumor therapy. Ovalbumin (OVA) or gp100 (melanocyte-associated antigen gp100 protein)-loaded CS-sodium tripolyphosphate (TPP)-grafted NPs were prepared by crosslinking low-molecular-weight CS with TPP. Compared with the FITC-OVA solution, the encapsulated fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-OVA-loaded NPs expressed much stronger cellular uptake ability in vitro and higher ability to migrate to lymph nodes in vivo. After transcutaneous administration, OVA-loaded NPs, with imiquimod as an adjuvant, increased the anti-OVA immunoglobulin G titer to levels similar to those induced by the OVA solution. The gp100-loaded NPs promoted the survival of tumor-bearing mice. These results provided evidence of CS-NPs as promising carriers for transcutaneous vaccine delivery, partly contributing to the increased uptake of NPs by skin antigen-presenting cells as well as their enhanced migration to the surrounding lymph nodes. @@@ From the Clinical Editor: In this study the efficacy of chitosan nanoparticle based vehicles for transcutaneous antigen delivery is investigated in anti-tumor therapy. Authors demonstrate that such nanoparticles may be efficient carriers partly due to their increased uptake by antigen-presenting cells in the skin and their enhanced migration to surrounding lymph nodes.