Structural effects and lymphocyte activation properties of self-assembled polysaccharide nanogels for effective antigen delivery

The success of immunotherapeutic vaccines is often limited by their inability to activate the cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL)-inducing Th1 pathway. We investigated the ability of self-assembled nanogels (CHP or CH-CDex) to activate this pathway, and characterised them chemically and biologically. Once loaded with antigen (ovalbumin, OVA) their OVA encapsulation and dissociation rates suggested the possibility of effective antigen delivery. The DC2.4 dendritic cell line took up either vaccine time-dependently, but both vaccines required CpG DNA for class I MHC presentation. The nanogel vaccines interacted with RAW264.7, a Balb/c mouse-derived macrophage cell line, and co-localised with lysosomes, suggesting their endocytotic internalization in RAW264.7. Both vaccines activated CTLs better than OVA alone. Unlike OVA alone, the nanogel vaccines induced IgG2a antibody production in mice, whereas the former induced IgG1 antibodies. OVA-nanogel delivery to the draining lymph nodes (DLNs) was higher than that for OVA alone, reaching a deeper medullary area. Furthermore, Langerin+ CD103+ DCs interacted with the nanogel vaccines effectively, which is a subset of cross-presentation DC, in the DLNs. The nanogel vaccines each had good anti-tumour efficacy in OVA tumour-bearing mice compared with the OVA alone. Thus, CHP and CH-CDex nanogels should be investigated further because of the great potential they offer for immunotherapy.