Protein-based nanoparticles in cancer vaccine development

Abstract

Peptide and protein-based cancer vaccines usually fail to elicit efficient immune responses against tumors. However, delivery of these peptides and proteins as components within caged protein nanoparticles has shown promising improvements in vaccine efficacy. Advantages of protein nanoparticles over other vaccine platforms include their highly organized structures and symmetry, biodegradability, ability to specifically functionalize at three different interfaces (inside, outside, and between subunits in macromolecular assembly), and ideal size for vaccine delivery. In this review, we discuss different classes of virus-like particles and caged protein nanoparticles that have been used as vehicles to deliver and increase the interaction of cancer vaccine components with the immune system. We review the effectiveness of these protein nanoparticles towards inducing and elevating specific immune responses, which are needed to overcome the low immunogenicity of the tumor microenvironment. Text for Graphical Abstract: In this review, we discuss several different protein-based nanoparticles as delivery vehicles to increase the interaction of cancer vaccine components (e.g., adjuvants, tumor-associated antigens) with the immune system. These important components can be efficiently internalized and processed by dendritic cells, which then present the antigen to the T cells for specific T cell responses that lead to specific tumor lysis and elimination. The elevated immune responses that are elicited by these nanoparticle vaccines are advantageous to overcome the low immunogenicity of the tumor microenvironment.

Recent Advancements of Nanomedicine towards Antiangiogenic Therapy in Cancer

“…Protein-based NPs have also attracted substantial attention owing to their high biodegradability, highly symmetrically organized edifices, ideal size for delivery, ability for different interfaces functionalization, etc. [124][125][126][127]. For example, as shown in Figure 7, Lin et al developed albumin based NP encapsulating paclitaxel and 4-HPR (angioprevention vitamin A analog) functionalized with blood brain barrier (BBB) crossing targeting peptide.…”

Cancer Nanomedicine Special Issue Review Anticancer Drug Delivery with Nanoparticles: Extracellular Vesicles or Synthetic Nanobeads as Therapeutic Tools for Conventional Treatment or Immunotherapy

“…Targeted gene and RNA-interference delivery by NP have been widely proposed for cancer immunotherapy, both to silence oncogenes and evoke an immune response, although this system is not free of side effects [ 172 , 173 ]. Peptide and protein-based NP are also suggested as tools to improve the efficacy of cancer vaccines [ 174 , 175 ]. On the other side, drug nanoformulations have been used to stimulate anti-tumor immune effector cells [ 167 , 168 ].…”

Connectability of protein cages

“…Since such polyvalent arrays are favourable for stimulating immunogenicity, protein cages have been extensively exploited as scaffolds to arrange antigens in vaccine development. 11,58,59 As such, a computationally designed two-component protein cage has been genetically modied with envelope protein-derived antigens from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) ( Fig. 5I) and human immunodeciency virus type 1 (HIV-1) ( Fig.…”

“…The wide variety of structures and functionalities demonstrated by nature has inspired researchers to develop useful nanodevices based on protein cages. There are numerous studies exemplifying their signicant potential to serve as vaccines, 11 drug delivery vehicles, 12 nanoreactors, 13,14 templates for synthesis of inorganic nanoparticles, 15,16 and catalytic materials. 17,18 In such applications, characteristics of naturallyexisting protein cages need to be tailored for individual purposes.…”