Nanoparticle Vaccines Adopting Virus-like Features for Enhanced Immune Potentiation

Abstract

Synthetic nanoparticles play an increasingly significant role in vaccine design and development as many nanoparticle vaccines show improved safety and efficacy over conventional formulations. These nanoformulations are structurally similar to viruses, which are nanoscale pathogenic organisms that have served as a key selective pressure driving the evolution of our immune system. As a result, mechanisms behind the benefits of nanoparticle vaccines can often find analogue to the interaction dynamics between the immune system and viruses. This review covers the advances in vaccine nanotechnology with a perspective on the advantages of virus mimicry towards immune potentiation. It provides an overview to the different types of nanomaterials utilized for nanoparticle vaccine development, including functionalization strategies that bestow nanoparticles with virus-like features. As understanding of human immunity and vaccine mechanisms continue to evolve, recognizing the fundamental semblance between synthetic nanoparticles and viruses may offer an explanation for the superiority of nanoparticle vaccines over conventional vaccines and may spur new design rationales for future vaccine research. These nanoformulations are poised to provide solutions towards pressing and emerging human diseases.

Antiviral efficacy of nanoparticulate vacuolar ATPase inhibitors against influenza virus infection

“…45 In addition to V-ATPase, inhibitors of other host factors may be contemplated for improving the design of antiviral nanoparticles. Given the recent rise in immunomodulatory nanoparticle development, 46,47 antiviral nanoparticles may also incorporate innate immune modulators to further enhance treatment potency. This study, for the first time, demonstrates the therapeutic promise of nanoparticulate V-ATPase inhibitors in a mouse model of influenza virus infection.…”

Nanoparticle-Based Vaccines Against Respiratory Viruses

“…Incorporation of antigens in nanoparticles can be achieved by encapsulation (physical entrapment) or by conjugation (covalent functionalization) (21). Studies have demonstrated that nanoparticles could protect the native structure of antigens from proteolytic degradation and/or improve antigen delivery to antigen-presenting cells (APCs) (31).…”

“…Over the last decade, a number of nanoparticles have been designed to mimic respiratory viruses in terms of size, shape and surface property in order to target NALT as well as to raise humoral and cellular immune responses (21,55,56). First, beside a nanoparticle size of 20-200 nm in diameter to match the size of most respiratory viruses, nanoparticles should be preferably positively charged.…”

“…Considerable efforts have been devoted for the development of efficient vaccines against LRTIs, including inactivated/fragmented trivalent or quadrivalent seasonal vaccines against influenza type A and type B viruses such as Influvac R (16), Vaxigrip R (17), and Fluzone R (18) as well as live attenuated vaccines such as Nasovac R and Flumist R for nasal administration in young children (19,20). Nevertheless, live-attenuated vaccines against influenza virus suffer from safety concerns due to their nature and represent a risk for elderly and immunosuppressed humans (21). Besides, killed pathogen vaccines and virus-derived subunit vaccines induce weaker immune responses and often require the use of an adjuvant to boost efficiency (22).…”

Subcutaneous Nanodisc Vaccination with Neoantigens for Combination Cancer Immunotherapy

“…9,10 While the SC route of delivery has been widely employed for nanoparticle vaccines in preclinical development, 11–15 conventional vaccines used in the clinic are typically administered via the intramuscular (IM) route, 16,17 presumably due to the “depot” effect for prolonged vaccine delivery. 18 Therefore, with our long-term goal set on clinical translation of the nanovaccine technology, we have sought to address the following three questions in this current study: (1) to determine whether SC route of administration offers a superior site of nanodisc vaccination than the IM route; (2) to assess systemic and local safety profiles of nanodisc vaccination; (3) to thoroughly evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of vaccine nanodiscs in combination with ICBs for treatment of advanced, established tumors.…”