Induction of Potent Adaptive Immunity by the Novel Polyion Complex Nanoparticles

The development of effective and simple methods of vaccine preparation is desired for the prophylaxis and treatment of a variety of infectious diseases and cancers. We have created novel polyion complex (PIC) nanoparticles (NPs) composed of amphiphilic anionic biodegradable poly(gamma-glutamic acid) (gamma-PGA) and cationic polymers as a vaccine adjuvant. PIC NPs can be prepared by mixing gamma-PGA-graft-L-phenylalanine ethylester (gamma-PGA-Phe) polymer with cationic polymer in phosphate-buffered saline. We examined the efficacy of PIC NPs for antigen delivery and immunostimulatory activity in vitro and in vivo. PIC NPs enhanced the uptake of ovalbumin (OVA) by dendritic cells (DCs) and subsequently induced DC maturation. The immunization of mice with OVA-carrying PIC NPs induced potent and antigen-specific cellular and humoral immunity. Since PIC NPs can be created with water-soluble anionic gamma-PGA-Phe and a cationic polymer by simple mixing in the absence of any organic solvents, PIC NPs may have potential as a novel candidate for an effective antigen carrier and vaccine adjuvant.