title: Highly versatile immunostimulating nanocapsules for specific immune potentiation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To develop a new core-shell type (nanocapsules) adjuvant system composed of squalene and polyglucosamine (PG) and to evaluate its immunostimulant capacity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The defined PG nanocapsules exhibited the capacity to efficiently associate the selected antigens (recombinant hepatitis B surface antigen and hemagglutinin of influenza virus) onto their polymeric surface (70-75%), and the immunostimulant imiquimod within the oily core. The resulting nanovaccines, with a particle size of 200-250 nm and a positive zeta-potential (∼+60 mV), were able to significantly potentiate and modulate the immune response to the selected antigens upon intramuscular administration to mice. Their efficacy as novel adjuvants was attributed to their enhanced cell internalization and effective intracellular imiquimod/antigen delivery, together with their prolonged residence time at the injection site.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The nanocapsules described herein have the capacity to enhance, prolong and modulate the immune response of subunit antigens and, therefore, they could be proposed as a platform for the codelivery of different antigens and immunostimulators.
authors.affiliation: Center for Research in Molecular Medicine & Chronic Diseases (CIMUS), University of Santiago de Compostela, 15706 Campus Vida, Santiago de Compostela, Spain and Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Technology Department, School of Pharmacy, University of Santiago de Compostela, 15705 Campus Vida, Santiago de Compostela, Spain and Current affiliation: Exploratory Unit, Sanofi-Aventis R&D, 31036 Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vicente
authors.forename: Mercedes
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Peleteiro
authors.forename: Jose V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Gonzalez-Aramundiz
authors.forename: Belén
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Díaz-Freitas
authors.forename: Susana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Martínez-Pulgarín
authors.forename: Jose I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Neissa
authors.forename: Jose M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Escribano
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sanchez
authors.forename: Africa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: González-Fernández
authors.forename: Maria J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Alonso
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D053769:Nanocapsules
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000906:Antibodies; D053769:Nanocapsules
keywords: adjuvants; antigen delivery; chitosan; hepatitis B; nanocapsules; squalene