T-cell-dependent immunomodulation of carbohydrate antigens under benign conditions is the most promising approach for carbohydrate-based vaccine development. However, to achieve such adaptive immune responses, well-defined multifunctional nanocarriers loaded with immunogenic materials must be explored. Current efforts to use gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) as antigen carriers in vaccine development have conveniently introduced considerable diversity. Here, we show that the shape of AuNPs markedly influences carbohydrate-based antigen processing in murine dendritic cells (mDCs) and subsequent T-cell activation. In the study, CpG-adjuvant coated sphere-, rod-, and star-shaped AuNPs were conjugated to the tripodal Tn-glycopeptide antigen to study their DC uptake and the activation of T-cells in the DCs/T-cell co-culture assay. Our results showed that sphere- and star-shaped AuNPs displayed relatively weak receptor-mediated uptake but induced a high level of T helper-1 (Th1) biasing immune responses compared with rod-shaped AuNPs, showing that receptor-mediated uptake and cytokine secretion of nanostructures are two independent mechanisms. Significantly, the shapes of AuNPs and antigen/adjuvant conjugation synergistically work together to modulate the effective anti-Tn-glycopeptide immunoglobulin (IgG) antibody response after in vivo administration of the AuNPs. These results show that by varying the shape parameter, one can alter the immunomodulation, leading to the development of carbohydrate vaccines.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.