Mesoporous silica particles induce size dependent effects on human dendritic cells

The effects of mesoporous silica nano- (270 nm) and microparticles (2.5 mu m) with surface areas above 500 m(2)/g were evaluated on human monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MDDC). Size- and concentration-dependent effects were seen where the smaller particles and lower concentrations affected MDDC to a minor degree compared to the larger particles and higher concentrations, both in terms of viability, uptake, and immune regulatory markers. Our findings support the further development of mesoporous silica particles in drug and vaccine delivery systems.