Nanovaccines against Animal Pathogens: The Latest Findings

Abstract

Nowadays, safe and efficacious vaccines represent powerful and cost-effective tools for global health and economic growth. In the veterinary field, these are undoubtedly key tools for improving productivity and fighting zoonoses. However, cases of persistent infections, rapidly evolving pathogens having high variability or emerging/re-emerging pathogens for which no effective vaccines have been developed point out the continuing need for new vaccine alternatives to control outbreaks. Most licensed vaccines have been successfully used for many years now; however, they have intrinsic limitations, such as variable efficacy, adverse effects, and some shortcomings. More effective adjuvants and novel delivery systems may foster real vaccine effectiveness and timely implementation. Emerging vaccine technologies involving nanoparticles such as self-assembling proteins, virus-like particles, liposomes, virosomes, and polymeric nanoparticles offer novel, safe, and high-potential approaches to address many vaccine development-related challenges. Nanotechnology is accelerating the evolution of vaccines because nanomaterials having encapsulation ability and very advantageous properties due to their size and surface area serve as effective vehicles for antigen delivery and immunostimulatory agents. This review discusses the requirements for an effective, broad-coverage-elicited immune response, the main nanoplatforms for producing it, and the latest nanovaccine applications for fighting animal pathogens.

Exosome-Mediated Antigen Delivery: Unveiling Novel Strategies in Viral Infection Control and Vaccine Design

“…While immunogens and adjuvants can be easily packaged in liposomes, incorporating desired components into exosomes has proven challenging at times [ 283 ]. In addition to the advantages afforded by standardized liposomes for the delivery of therapeutics, the “exosome” strategy is being challenged by other strategies for the custom development of delivery systems based, for example, on bacteriophage virus-like particles (VLPs) [ 284 ] or other biomimetic platforms [ 285 ]. Future research on exosomes for vaccine purposes will have to establish a comparison with these other types of nano-platforms, particularly in preclinical studies.…”

The Potential Use of Peptides in the Fight against Chagas Disease and Leishmaniasis

“…Since phagocytic cells, particularly macrophages, are the target organs in leishmaniasis, liposomal derivatives and polymeric NPs are used for drug delivery. Higher ROS production, an increase in immuno-modulatory response, DNA damage, disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential and electron transport chain, and inhibition of trypanothione reductase enzyme vital for the Leishmania parasite’s anti-oxidation process are just a few of the mechanisms that NP-encapsulated drugs/molecules use to kill Leishmania parasites [ 245 ]. Although there are countless benefits, nanoscience’s use in practical life is limited.…”

Current status of nano‐vaccinology in veterinary medicine science

“…Furthermore, the nano‐adjuvants in biological systems save the goal antigen from decay and improve absorption by immune intermediates (Sahu et al., 2018 ). This system leads to steady immunogenic effects and potentially delivers the antigen repetitively (Celis‐Giraldo et al., 2021 ). The size of nanoparticles significantly impacts their interaction with the immune system and how they are dispersed throughout the body.…”