This paper demonstrates how the shape and size of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) affect immunological responses in vivo and in vitro for the production of antibodies for West Nile virus (WNV). We prepared spherical (20 and 40 nm in diameter), rod (40 × 10 nm), and cubic (40 × 40 × 40 nm) AuNPs as adjuvants and coated them with WNV envelope (E) protein. We measured anti-WNVE antibodies after inoculation of these WNVE-coated AuNPs (AuNP-Es) into mice. The 40 nm spherical AuNP-Es (Sphere40-Es) induced the highest level of WNVE-specific antibodies, while rod AuNP-Es (Rod-Es) induced only 50% of that of Sphere40-E. To examine the mechanisms of the shape-dependent WNVE antibody production, we next measured the efficiency of cellular uptake of AuNP-Es into RAW264.7 macrophage cells and bone-marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) and the subsequent cytokine secretion from BMDCs. The uptake of Rod-Es into the cells proceeded more efficiently than those of Sphere-Es or cubic WNVE-coated AuNPs (Cube-Es), suggesting that antibody production was not dependent on the uptake efficiency of the different AuNP-Es. Cytokine production from BMDCs treated with the AuNP-Es revealed that only Rod-E-treated cells produced significant levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-18 (IL-18), indicating that Rod-Es activated inflammasome-dependent cytokine secretion. Meanwhile, Sphere40-Es and Cube-Es both significantly induced inflammatory cytokine production, including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), IL-6, IL-12, and granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF). These results suggested that AuNPs are effective vaccine adjuvants and enhance the immune response via different cytokine pathways depending on their sizes and shapes.

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Microporous polymer films are attractive materials with potential application in the fields of electronics, photonics, and biotechnology. Chemical and thermal stabilities of the microporous polymer films are required for their materials application. Besides preparation by conventional photolithography, we have reported that honeycomb-patterned porous polymer films are prepared by a method utilizing the condensation of small water droplets on solutions of amphiphilic copolymers. Here, we show preparation of honeycomb-patterned microporous films of a thermally and chemically stable material, polyimide. A water-template-assisted honeycomb structure was formed from a polyion complex of polyamic acids and dialkylammonium salt. The pore size of films was controlled by the casting volume of polymer solution. The patterned polyion complex film converted into polyimide by simple chemical treatment, keeping the porous structure. Self-supporting microporous polyimide films are fabricated. The honeycomb-structured film has high thermal and chemical stability like that of conventional cast films of polyimides.

In recent years, polymer nanoparticles have been investigated with great interest due to their potential applications in the fields of electronics, photonics, and biotechnology. Here, we report the spontaneous formation of polymer nanoparticles from a clear solution containing a nonvolatile poor solvent by slow evaporation of a volatile good solvent. During evaporation of the good solvent, the solution gradually turns turbid. After evaporation, polymer nanoparticles of homogeneous shape and size are dispersed in the poor solvent. Homogeneous nucleation and successive growth of polymer particles takes place during the dynamic nonequilibrium process of solvent evaporation. The size of the particles, ranging from tens of nanometers to micrometer scale, depends on both polymer concentration and the solvent mixing ratio. Because of the physical generality of the particle formation mechanism, this procedure is applicable to a wide variety of polymers with suitable combinations of solvents. Here, we also show unique features, surface structures and surface properties of polymer nanoparticles prepared by this method.