title: Reduction Sensitive PEG Hydrogels for Codelivery of Antigen and Adjuvant To Induce Potent CTLs.
abstract: Educating our immune system via vaccination is an attractive approach to combat infectious diseases. Eliciting antigen specific cytotoxic T cells (CTLs), CD8+effector T cells, is essential in controlling intracellular infectious diseases such as influenza (Flu), tuberculosis (TB), hepatitis, and HIV/AIDS, as well as tumors. However, vaccination utilizing subunit peptides to elicit a potent CD8+T cell response with antigenic peptides is typically ineffective due to poor immunogenicity. Here we have engineered a reduction sensitive nanoparticle (NP) based subunit vaccine for intracellular delivery of an antigenic peptide and immunostimulatory adjuvant. We have co-conjugated an antigenic peptide (ovalbumin-derived CTL epitope [OVA257-264: SIINFEKL]) and an immunostimulatory adjuvant (CpG ODNs, TLR9 agonist) to PEG hydrogel NPs via a reduction sensitive linker. Bone-marrow derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) treated with the SIINFEKL conjugated NPs efficiently cross-presented the antigenic peptide via MHC-I surface receptor and induced proliferation of OT-I T cells. CpG ODN-conjugated NPs induced maturation of BMDCs as evidenced by the overexpression of CD80 and CD40 costimulatory receptors. Moreover, codelivery of NP conjugated SIINFEKL and CpG ODN significantly increased the frequency of IFN-γ producing CD8+effector T cells in mice (∼6-fold improvement over soluble antigen and adjuvant). Furthermore, the NP subunit vaccine-induced effector T cells were able to kill up to 90% of the adoptively transferred antigenic peptide-loaded target cell. These results demonstrate that the reduction sensitive NP subunit vaccine elicits a potent CTL response and provide compelling evidence that this approach could be utilized to engineer particulate vaccines to deliver tumor or pathogen associated antigenic peptides to harness the immune system to fight against cancer and infectious diseases.
authors.forename: Chintan H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Kapadia
authors.forename: Shaomin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Jillian L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Perry
authors.forename: J Christopher
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Luft
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, NC State University , Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States.|Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center , New York, New York 10021, United States.
authors.forename: Joseph M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: DeSimone
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000818:Animals; D000941:Antigens / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000166:cytology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D019496:Cancer Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000502:physiology; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D000067493:Dynamic Light Scattering; D005260:Female; D020100:Hydrogels / Q000737:chemistry*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D013818:Thermogravimetry
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000941:Antigens; C408982:CPG-oligonucleotide; D019496:Cancer Vaccines; D020100:Hydrogels; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols
keywords: cancer vaccine; cytotoxic T cells (CTL); disulfide linkers; nanoparticles; peptide vaccine