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Nanomaterials are applied with great success in biomedical applications as templates for the development of new generation devices, which can be used to solve current health problems. These new nanoscale systems are designed with multifunctions to perform specific and selective tasks. One of the most important applications of this new nanotechnology; focuses on developing new systems for the controlled release of drugs, mainly due to their capability to improve the temporal and spatial presentation of drugs in the body and their ability to protect them from physiological degradation or elimination. Hydrogels, porous silicon (PSi), and PSi-composites have been widely adopted in this field due to their biological, morphological, and physicochemical properties; which can be tuned to obtain sensitive responses to physiological stimuli. Despite the fact that some recent academic papers have shown the benefits of these nanomaterials in a wide range of biological applications, more in vivo studies are needed to take these hybrid systems towards clinical trials. In this mini-review some of the hydrogels, PSi, and PSi-composites latest applications and prospects in this field of science are presented.

Vaccinology faces the challenge of developing improved immunization approaches that are able to induce long-term immunity with the desired Th profile according to the pathology. In this context, new vehicles for efficient antigen delivery that exert adjuvant effects play a critical role in addressing this goal. Herein, mesoporous silicon particles (PSiP) were assessed as carriers for a peptide-based vaccine targeting the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE), which is a relevant receptor in Alzheimer´s disease and other diseases. A RAGE peptide was adsorbed onto PSiP (PSiP vaccine) and administered to BALB/c mice, leading to immune responses that were similar in magnitude to those induced by the soluble peptide. However, the response induced by PSiP lasted for a significantly longer period when compared with the behavior of the group immunized with the peptide alone. Therefore, PSiP are proposed as carriers to enhance immune memory, which is critical in vaccination. This study opens interesting perspectives related to the application of PSiP in vaccinology.