A major limiting factor retarding the clinical success of dendritic cell (DC)-based genetic immunizations (DNA vaccination) is the scarcity of biologically safe and effective carrier systems for targeting the antigen-encoded DNA vaccines to DCs under in vivo settings. Herein, we report on a potent, mannose receptor selective in vivo DC-targeting liposomes of a novel cationic amphiphile with mannose-mimicking shikimoyl head-group. Flow cytometric experiments with cells isolated from draining lymph nodes of mice s.c. immunized with lipoplexes of pGFP plasmid (model DNA vaccine) using anti-CD11c antibody-labeled magnetic beads revealed in vivo DC-targeting properties of the presently described liposomal DNA vaccine carrier. Importantly, s.c. immunizations of mice with electrostatic complex of the in vivo DC-targeting liposome and melanoma antigen-encoded DNA vaccine (p-CMV-MART1) induced long-lasting antimelanoma immune response (100 days post melanoma tumor challenge) with remarkable memory response (more than 6 months after the second tumor challenge). The presently described direct in vivo DC-targeting liposomal DNA vaccine carrier is expected to find future exploitations toward designing effective vaccines for various infectious diseases and cancers.

Gold nanoparticles functionalized with a thiol ligand containing both mannose mimicking shikimoyl- and transfection enhancing guanidinyl-functionalities forin vivodelivery of DNA vaccines to dendritic cells.