title: Antigen-loaded nanocarriers enhance the migration of stimulated Langerhans cells to draining lymph nodes and induce effective transcutaneous immunization.
abstract: This study aims to investigate the efficacy of chitosan nanoparticles (CS-NPs) as a vehicle for transcutaneous antigen delivery in anti-tumor 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.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  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.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; The Affiliated Lihuili Hospital, Ningbo University School of Medicine, Ningbo, China.
authors.forename: Ni
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China. Electronic address: lhpeng@zju.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Li-Hua
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Xi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Tian-Yuan
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: The Affiliated Lihuili Hospital, Ningbo University School of Medicine, Ningbo, China.
authors.forename: Guo-Feng
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Wen-Quan
authors.initials: WQ
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; The Novel Transdermal Research Center of Jiangsu Province, Changzhou, China. Electronic address: gaojianqing@zju.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Jian-Qing
authors.initials: JQ
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000941:Antigens / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization; D007801:Langerhans Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens; D004337:Drug Carriers
keywords: Antigen; Chitosan nanoparticle; Langerhans cell; Lymph nodes; Transcutaneous immunization