title: Lumazine synthase protein cage nanoparticles as antigen delivery nanoplatforms for dendritic cell-based vaccine development.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Protein cages are promising nanoplatform candidates for efficient delivery systems due to their homogenous size and structure with high biocompatibility and biodegradability. In this study, we investigate the potential of lumazine synthase protein cage as an antigen delivery system to dendritic cells (DCs), which induce antigen-specific T cell proliferation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ovalbumin (OVA) peptides OT-1 (SIINFEKL) and OT-2 (ISQAVHAAHAEINEAGR) were genetically inserted to lumazine synthase and each protein cage was over-expressed in Escherichia coli as a soluble protein. The efficiency of antigen delivery and the resulting antigen-specific T cell proliferation by DCs was examined in vitro as well as in vivo.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We successfully generated and characterized OVA peptides carrying lumazine synthase protein cages. The OT-1 and OT-2 peptides carried by lumazine synthases were efficiently delivered and processed by DCs in vitro as well as in vivo, and induced proliferation of OT-1-specific CD8(+)T cells and OT-2-specific CD4(+)T cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data demonstrate the potential of lumazine synthase protein cage being used as a novel antigen delivery system for DC-based vaccine development in future clinical applications.
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan, Korea.
authors.forename: Jae-Sun
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-4525-7171
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Ra
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyun-Hee
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-4945-1059
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan, Korea.
authors.forename: Sebyung
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-7394-3550
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan, Korea.
authors.forename: Yoonkyung
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-7947-4767
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Do
keywords: Antigen presentation; Dendritic cells; Nanoparticles; Protein cage; Vaccines